Karigoya Yabureme
by shadows-of-flame
Summary: Keira is sick of getting the backseat when it comes to Jak... And when he moves on so does she. But was going to Jak's girlfriend's ex such a good idea? Everyone has to die sometime, but not those pure of soul... KeiraxTorn and some JakxAshelin.[Complete]
1. The Underground

Karigoya Yabureme  
By shadows/of/flame

Disclaimer: This is my story, as Tidus says, so I don't want it used anywhere else.

**JAK 3 ENDING SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

The name of this story means Unshed Tears in Japanese. It is not a direct translation.

* * *

There was a shattering silence. No one knew what to say. A tense air hung around, and finally Jak broke it by sighing. 

"Then you can call me by my real name, by what my father named me, Mar."

Ashelin gasped. "Jak is Mar? THE Mar?"

Jak wasn't sure what she meant by the REAL Mar, and nodded slowly.

"Well then Mar, no time like the present." The precursor ottsel said, motioning for Jak to get into the ship.

Jak knew Daxter wouldn't go with him. He was too happy with his new ottsel girl Tess, and besides, he had pants to look forward to.

Keira tried to hold back her tears of jealousy as Jak kissed Ashelin goodbye.

"Thanks Samos... Sig... Keira." he said, waving in their direction.  
Samos waved back, and Sig saluted as the ship flew into the sky, never to return.

Daxter looked at Tess, who was now his height, furry and just the right height to kiss.  
"Lets go honey." he smiled, putting an arm around her.  
As they were about to leave, footsteps were heard behind them, and Jak stood there.

"Ah, I couldn't leave you Dax. You wouldn't last a second without me! And neither would Ashelin." he smirked in her general direction.

Daxter nodded. "Nah, I don't think she would either!"

Keira watched Jak with utter disgust. How could he go from one girl to another just like that? Especially Ashelin of all girls. She thought Torn and Ashelin liked each other, not Jak and Ashelin! And what about Jak and her?

Keira kicked the sand beneath her feet and turned around to leave so she didn't have to endure more torture when she bumped into a rather annoyed ex-commander that was standing beside a pillar.

"Ah... sorry." she began, but Torn cut her off.

"That makes you sick too huh." Torn grunted, motioning to the hug Ashelin and Jak were sharing.

Keira nodded. "He goes through girls like he does guns."  
Torn laughed. "You're a sharp girl. We could use one like you in the Underground."

Keira thought it over. "That sounds... interesting. That means I can finally prove myself right? I might just take up on that offer."  
Torn nodded. "Think about it then, and get back to me. You know where Underground Headquarters are right?"  
Keira laughed. "Who doesn't?"

A faint smile appeared on Torns face.  
"Come to the hideout when you've decided."

He left the arena and got into his Krimzon hover, leaving for Haven City immediately.

A warm fuzzy feeling had started in the pit of Keiras stomach. She'd prove to Jak that she didn't always have to be saved...

She'd show him.

* * *

Just the prologue. Expect more on the Jak and Daxter front soon.  
I am a JakxKeira and AshelinxTorn fan but I thought I would branch out. Not that I've written a Jak and Daxter fic here... 


	2. Servant work

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 2  
By shadows/of/flame

Sorry I haven't updated in ages! But I was on holiday!

* * *

_An inevidable confrontation._

There was no peace in the Palace when Ashelin found out Keira was Torns new right hand girl.  
Jak tried to calm her down, but she was immune to his blond charms.

"Torn replaced me for that sap?" she roared, and stormed off to confront Torn at the Underground hideout.

Keira was still getting used to the manner of living as part of the Underground crew.  
Torn was getting annoyed at her asking everyday when she would be allowed to go on a mission.

The answer was always no. No, she wasn't allowed to go on a mission yet. Yes, could she please stop bugging him?

Keira was made to do little jobs, like clean the hideout, or get Torn coffee from Haven Star Bucks down the road.

"How can I prove myself by being Torns slave girl!" Keira fumed to herself as she made dinner for the whole present Underground crew.

Listening closely, Keira heard someone enter the Underground via the backdoor.  
Keira could tell the person was female, because males didn't wear high heels.

"Wheres Torn?"

"I am right over here. Can't you see me?"

A chuckle.

There was a pause, and Keira strained her ears to listen over the bubbling of the curry on the stove.

"Ashelin! What the hell are you doing here? I thought you'd be snuggling your darling Jak at the Palace."

She chuckled sourly.  
"You are employing Keira."

There was silence again.

"Shes a mechanic. What use is she to you?" Ashelin snorted.

Torn laughed.

"All shes doing at the moment is the Undergrounds servant work."

There was utter silence.

"Why did youthrow me off and make her your right hand girl?" Ashelin snarled.

Torn took a deep breath, testing the shaky ice that was forming between them.  
"YOU were kissing JAK. I gave Keira a helping hand because she wanted to prove herself. To prove that she didn't need to depend on anyone anymore!"

Ashelin snorted heavily.  
"You are such a bad liar Torn. How can she prove herself when shes on servant work? You lo..."

"OUT!" Torn roared. A slamming sound was heard, obviously Torn was trying his best to get Ashelin out.

"Go running home to Jakky boy! He needs you! I don't need to depend on you anymore, OK?" Torn yelled.

The front door was slammed shut and Keira knew she had left for good this time.  
Keira was silently fuming.

Torn hired her to do SERVANT WORK?

She threw the pot of curry she had been making for dinner at the wall, and the curry started dripping down in yellow lumps.

What a shame her next job was to re-wallpaper the hideout.

Torn heard the noise and went to investigate almost immediately.  
He saw the mess and started yelling "What the hell have you done?"

Keira faced him, eyes blazing.

"I heard what you said to Ashelin. You said you hired me so I could prove myself. But now its pretty obvious you don't think I can do it, so you put me on SERVANT work."

She pushed past Torn and his opened mouth expression, and ripped open the front door much like Ashelin had 15 minutes before.

0o0o0

Keira sat on the roof, with the rain pouring down on her, and for the first time in 3 years, she started to cry.

0o0o0

Torn slapped a hand to his forehead. Did women always misunderstand men, and expect to be forgiven when the true truth was revealed?

He was worrying about her, as she had kind ofstormed off in the middle of a storm.

_'Why did I say anything to Ashelin? Keiras a good worker.. oh hell have I screwed up.'_

He went out to look for Keira, and found her huddled up on the roof, soaking wet no less.

"Keira..." he murmured.

Keira opened her eyes groggily to see Torn standing a few metres below on the pavement.

"Torn... I..."

She had been about to apologise for her behaviour, and then remembered she was supposed to be angry at him.

"What did Ashelin mean when she said 'You lo...'?" Keira asked, remembering the whole conversation, especially the bits about her.

Torn thought a minute and shrugged. "That aside... and your behaviour aside... I want to send you on a proper mission."

Keira glowed.  
"Really? You will let me?"

Torn grumbled. "Let me finish first. Before you are even considered for the mission, one of my Underground boys will set you up with a weapon and tell you how to use it correctly."

"But what about all the servant work I have been doing?"

Torn chuckled.  
"Every newbie does a few days servant work before they are considered for a mission. They have to prove they can do things around the house too. Count yourself lucky I'm not making you clean up that curry. Now get inside - we left you some Chinese."

Keira giggled, and jumped off the roof, going inside to change and get some food.

_'I'm going to get weapon training! And I'm being considered for a really important mission!'_

It was one of the best days of her life.  
But the thing still echoing in her head was "You lo..." "You lo..." "You lo..."

What does it mean?

* * *

Sorry I haven't updated, but I can and will update ASAP! 


	3. Charitible charity

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 3  
By shadows/of/flame

Thanks very much to every single lovely reviewer. You have all given me inspiration... and for that I am thankful.  
With the guessing thing "I lo..." One person was right.

* * *

_Meeting the Underground._

Keira gulped as she saw the man that was going to teach her how to use a gun.

He had coffee brown skin, and one eye was replaced with a glass eyepiece, which also served as a sort of telescope.

The thing that scared Keira the most...  
Was the huge gun he held in his dustbin sized hands.

"The names Sig." he held out one of his dustbin sized hands and Keira gulped.

Not meaning to be rude, and get Torn pissed off, she shook his hand, withdrawing it before Sig tightened his grip enough for her hand to snap litle brittle spaghetti.

"I am Keira. Pleased... to meet you Sig."

"Torny here ordered me to teach you how to use a gun. But ordered is such a harsh word, right cherry?"

Keira nodded fearfully, stifling a laugh at the 'Torny' thing.

Sig laughed at her expression, and steered Keira to the gun range behind the hideout.

But steered is such a harsh word, right?

"As you know, this is a gun. Today I am going to teach you how to use 3 different types of gun. The Blaster Gun, The Scatter Gun and The Vulcan Fury."  
As Sig was about to finish, Keira interrupted.

"Can I own a gun that Jak doesn't have?"

Sig started to laugh again.  
"I didn't say you were going to own them.I was about to say, chilli pepper, that if you are successful, you will get a gun. The Dawn Raid."

Keira blushed as red as the gun was.

"Shall we begin?" Sig pondered out loud, handing her the scatter gun.

Keira trained for many hours, Torn occasionally making an appearance to see how she was going. She was determined to own the Dawn Raid, and go on the "important" mission for Torn, to finally impress him and Jak, and to show her worth.

The Dawn Raid was a stunning gun. It was light orangey-yellow in colour - much like a mixture of the dawn and the setting sun themselves.

It had 2 types of ammo - a diamond triple laser, and a rare bullet type called the Yyvn, which suspended the enemy in the air for 5 seconds before decimating them completely.

Sig told Keira not to fire it anywhere in the city - the setting wasn't exactly programmed to tell friend from foe.

"If you're doin' outside missions for Torn, no one important enough will be around cherry, so you can shoot it to your hearts content."

Finally, after 6 hours of vigorous training with all 3 guns, Sig surrendered the Dawn Raid.

Keira aimed the laser at a bird, and when she pulled the trigger, all that was left was a lone beak.

Torn came just as the beak was blown to the ground, and he smirked faintly.  
"Sig gave you the Dawn Raid?"

Keira was surprised to hear him speak - he hadn't said anything while she was training, and Keira nodded.

"I had a Dawn Raid when I had my first gun. In fact..."  
Torn was unable to finish the sentence before Sig stepped in.

"Thats Torns old one. Its special cherry, he wanted you to use it, so use it well and take good care of it, you hear?"

Keira was confused. "Of course I'll look after it!" But she still didn't get one thing...

Torn giving something away for free?  
Unheard of.

Torn gave her something wrapped in cloth, and she unwrapped it to see a beautiful careworn holster.

"Yours too?" she asked.

Torn chuckled.  
"My first ever one."

Keira giggled.  
"Since when were you so charitable?"

Keiras next job was to meet some of her future partners - the people she may have to work with in the future.

"Everyone!"  
At Torns voice, the people in the assembled rec room stopped eating pizza, and turned to Torn to listen.

"This is Keira. Keira, I'll introduce you to to some of your "work mates". First up, Jinx. Hes an explosives expert. Used to be Krews boy, but after Krews timely demise, he came to our side with valuable information.  
"You know Daxter - useful for getting into small places; Tess - our guns maker - made every gun but the one you own; Ashelin, good for getting inside info on the Haven City Council and the Krimzon Guard; Onin and Pecker, witchcraft related stuff and good for knowing where EVERYTHING is; Samos, Eco King you know him already, and healer if anything happens to any of my men (or women) and of course..."

Torn turned around, and pulled a rather grotesque face at Keira, then turned to the others, "Jak - hotshot and pighead extraordinaire. Handles most of the missions, with a tag along expert, so he's your main competition."

Jak laughed. "A girl? Competition? Pffft."

Keiras hand went to her gun holster.  
"Yes Jakky DEAR, I am your competition, and I plan to whoop your butt everytime."

Everyone apart from Jak started cheering for her.  
Torn cracked a smile.

And in the middle of it all, Jak and Ashelin were left sour faced.

* * *

That was a bit rushed, but here ya go! Another chappie! 


	4. A new fault

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 4  
By shadows/of/flame

Thank you very much to all of my reviewers. Credit to my sis for help with this chappie.  
Sig and a bit of Torn OOCness.

* * *

_A mission._

Keira slept like a dream that night.  
Jak was utterly pissed off that Keira was his competition, but Ashelin convinced him there was nothing he could do, and eventually he too, drifted off to sleep. wondering what had happened to the girl he used to love.

0o0o0  
"I have a mission for you."

Keira spun around as she entered the kitchen to see Torn, of all people, making breakfast.

"What is it? That super uber important one?"

Torn smirked.  
"Not the same one... but one of the same importance. Sig is going to fit your gun properly, then you will go through an old door in the sewers and guide a train filled with explosive dark eco to blow open the door into Mars Mine.  
For some reason, the cities eco supply is getting low again, and of course the slums will be the first to suffer, so we need you to open the door so we can supply more eco to the city... For a price of course."

Keira grinned, had her breakfast as soon as it was ready, bidded Torn goodbye, and went to get her gun modified.

Sig saw her through the glass of the Naughty Ottsel, his second most regular hideout, and he fitted her gun in 5 minutes with the tools he had.  
"Piece of cake cherry! Now go and work some magic!"

Keira took the gun from Sig. It seemed... _lighter_ somehow.  
She thought nothing of it, and hijacked a hover to the sewer doors.

"This place is swarming with metal heads..." she grumbled loudly, flicking the gun to the Yyvn setting and shooting a group of the nasty creatures.

Water dripped down the walls, and it was... it stank, to say the least.

Keira was used to worse smells - the smell of sulphur was enough to make anyone but Jinx gag.

_"Ain't the smell of sulphur grand?"_ he had asked once.

Now, as the smell drew closer, she knew he had inhaled **too** much sulphur.

Keira slammed her feet down hard on the switch - and managed two things at once.

The water from the elevator drained to reveal the elevator, and the tunnels electricity switched on, causing Keira temporary blindness.

Keira switched her gun to the laser setting, and shot a few metal heads that had been revealed by the sudden light.  
It was only a matter of twisting turns and endless corridors before she found the door to the train room, and she entered cautiously.

_'So this is the train...'_ Keira thought amusedly as she saw the tiny thing.  
_'This is going to blow up the door? Oh please.'_

Keira read the instructions scrawled on a piece of paper by Torn before she left. He usually had hurried handwriting, but this was worse than usual, and she had to squint in the faint light to read it.

_"Flick the switch to activate the train.  
__Shoot the bridge parts as the train comes to them, otherwise it will fall into the abyss and you will fail the mission.  
__If all goes well, the door will blast open, and after that, return to the hideout immediately. I'm counting on you. Good luck.  
-Torn."_

Keira flicked the switch, and ran to keep up with the tiny train as it sped towards the first set of bridge parts. Keira shot them successfully and passed on to the next set.

But halfway through, her laser stopped working!  
Keira panicked, and checked the solar energy the laser was powered off.

It was half full.

She tried the bullets, but the gun didn't shoot far enough, and it missed completely, nearly destroying a part of the bridge.

Devastated, she watched as the train of eco plummented off the set track... into oblivion.

She had failed.

0o0o0

Torn was pacing back and forth, wondering where the hell Keira was.  
He thought Keira would have contacted him on her communicator by now.

Sig rushed in, out of breath, but pale as a new white pillow case drenched in bleach.

"Torn!"  
Torn spun around to see Sig.

"I have to confess... and I need to pass on some bad news.  
"Keira failed the mission."

Torns heart stopped as he heard those four fatal words.

"She... She **WHAT?**"

Sig bowed his head and nodded.

"Her gun failed at the last minute, and the train fell into the pit and blew up. We should have never trusted her."  
Torn swore, kicking the table.

"But you checked that gun for faults! You said to me and her it was in perfect working condition!"

Sig lowered his head again. "Thats what the confession bit is about..."

The door opened, and Keira stumbled in, bruised and cut badly, holding the Dawn Raid.

"I'm sorry Torn... I failed... the gun..."

"NO MORE EXCUSES!" Torn yelled.

Keira was shocked.

"You _KNEW_ how to use the Dawn Raid correctly - you were instructed how to! The mission outlines were _PERFECTLY _clear - you disobeyed them. It was not a difficult mission, but more an important one. You failed everyone!"

Keira slammed the Dawn Raid down on top of Torns maps that were sitting on his table, startling the other occupants of the room.

"Do you _HONESTLY_ think that it was my misuse of the gun, that this _THING _crapped out and refused to help! The power guage was _HALF FULL_. So excuse me, sir stuck up prude, how the hell was I supposed to either use a gun as a boomerang, or get another gun in time to be able to complete the task? You gave me _ONE_ fucking gun. Your darling Jakky has 12! How the hell was I supposed to complete a mission like this with one fucking gun? Sure, it has two settings, but the Yyvn bullets are useless from a long range!"

Keira threw the gun at Torn, and left the Underground hideout, regardless of her state.

"KEIRA!" Torn yelled, worry evident in his tone.

Torn grabbed his jacket, and went out and scoured the streets for her, but to no avail.

Torn went back to the hideout to see Sig sitting on an abandoned bunk, looking embarrased.

"Its not her fault her gun crapped out."

Torn hung his coat on the hanger, and faced Sig.  
"Then whos fault is it?"

Sig hung his head for the third time that day.

"Mine Torn... I... you told me to improve her gun... so it could do the mission properly... But I tampered with it. I pulled out and damaged the programming. I didn't want Keira to succeed... because then she would be your right hand woman... and you'd never let me go on any missions."

Torn was shocked to his very core. He had never seen the jealous side of Sig before.

"You would have me kill Keira, or at the least kick her out of the Underground, so you would be my favourite again?"

Sig nodded sheepishly.

"Then you would have to kill Jak too - if Keira dies it will be him I will turn to.  
"For your actions, you will take a plasmite bomb and blow open the door yourself!"

Sig went as fast as he could without running, and Torn felt an unfamiliar prick behind his eyes.

_"Oh Keira..."_ he whispered, the prick getting sharper, _"Wherever you are, I hope you're safe."_

Pecker and Onin came in, Pecker having heard everything in the conversation.

"Oh, are you starting to _CARE_?"

Torn wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *


	5. An announcement and an uprising

Karogiya Yabureme  
Chapter 5  
By shadows/of/flame

Sorry about Aurons Big mistake... the chappie is at my dads, and his computer is really sick, so I can't get it!  
Anyway, onto the next chapter... Jak and Ashelin OOCness this chappie...

_Ashelin, Jak and the uprising._

* * *

The search for Keira had been on for three days, but nothing had turned up at all. 

Torn got on with life as usual, as did everyone else, but Keiras bubbly attitude was sorely missed by all. Well, all but Jak and Ashelin, who could not have hidden their glee less.

Of course, the only reason they were gleeful was because Keira has stolen Torns right hand girl position from Ashelin, and Jak, though he is not a girl.

Torn soon gave up on thinking that Keira would return, and gave all of her missions to Jak. Soon enough, Jak was Torns' right hand... guy again, and most people were happy.

Torn didn't have much choice but to give up on Keira - unless he had two right hands.

Sig hadn't been heard from either, and he and Keira were both presumed dead aftertwo weeks of not showing up.

Samos and the others started blaming Torn for Keiras' disappearance, and the two other people that knew the truth were dead to the Underground. Torn wasn't taking it too well - he neglected his "cleaning rituals" and became tired and haggard.

Torn went out every night, to look for her, but soon returned to the Underground, because he knew she would never go back to the Underground with him anyway.

A week after the failed mission, Ashelin waltzed in. Torn could never gather why she had been in such a good mood the past few days, except she always hung around Jak - a lot more than usual - and she would never leave on a mission without him, and vice versa.

"We have an announcement to make!" she smiled.

Daxter squinted. "Whaddaya mean, we? Theres only one of you!"

Jak stepped out from behind Ashelin, also smiling, and he squeezed her hand tightly.

"Well? Whats the big announcement?" Tess asked excitedly, hope evident in her voice.

Ashelin squeezed Jaks hand back.

"Jak and I... are engaged!"

Everyone started cheering and clapping, smacking Jak on the back, or hugging Ashelin.

_'It was inevitable...'_ Torn muttered to himself. _'But why did they land this one on us when I have just lost Keira and Sig...?'_

"Congratulations..." he mumbled.

Ashelin heard, and beamed at him, completely oblivious to the fact he was her ex. He was her past, Jak was her future, as far as she was concerned.

Tess and Ashelin went into wedding details almost immediately.

"I bet Keira would help if she was here!" Daxter was overheard telling Samos.

Torn felt a sharp pang in his heart.

_If only she were there..._

_'This is ridiculous!'_ Torn thought, utterly confused. _'Ashelin and Jak have been going out about... 2 or 3 weeks... right?'_

Torn groaned aloud. OF COURSE... the relationship had been going on LONG before that.

0o0o0

Jinx trembled as he heard the eleven words that would change two lives forever.  
He ran away to the Underground as fast as his legs could carry him.

"I, Erol, will rule this forsaken city once and for all!"

An evil laugh ran through Jinx's tormented ears.

He burst into the Underground hideout as soon as he reached it, looking positively spooked.

"Erol... hes planning..."

Jak was going to ask his friend what was the matter, what was wrong, when everyone heard a booming voice.

**"I, Erol, will rule this forsaken city once and for all!"**

And that was all they heard before everything went black.

0o0o0

"Can I get that Dragon Fang please?"  
Keira paid for her new gun, and gazed at it, pleased with her bargain.

It was silvery green, with a machine gun type firing mode, and auto targeting of all things good!

"Heh heh heh! Better that any hand-me-down Dawn Raid!" she crowed triumphantly, holstering it, but as she saw the holster, her resolve weakened.

_'Torn...'_

_"Torn... are you thinking about me too..."_ she murmured.

She shook her head, not believing she had said that!

"He has probably replaced me with Jak by now! What am I thinking?" she snorted, disgusted with herself.

But she was worried about the others, no matter how Torn had reacted to her.

Her two resolves battled it out, until she found her hands had made the decision for her and the gun was sitting in Torns holster.

"My lady!"

She had been about to leave, when the weapon seller stopped her.

"There are metal heads everywhere! Take an extra belt of bullets and PLEASE, help the city!"

Keira gasped. "Did Erol start this?"

"Aye."

"Any news of the Underground?"

"Aye. It was the first building to be razed by Erol. The hideout is in ruins, but no bodies have been recovered."

_'Torn... Oh no...'_

Keira gasped, feeling tears forming in her eyes.

"Has anyone died in the attack?"

"Nay. I have no idea what has happened to the Underground people, but I think Erol may be holding them hostage at the Palace."

Keira took a deep breath.

"They saved me... now its my turn to save them!"

The weapons shop owner gave her a few extra rounds of bullets, and some shoulder armour.

Keira looked at herself in the mirror.

"Bandana... check."

She threaded the purple bandana Torn had given her for her birthday through her hair, tying it securely.

"Weapon... check."

She bought a set of handcrafted ivory knives off the weapons guy, for three quarters of the original price.

"Armour... check. Looks like I'm ready to storm the palace!" she smiled weakly.

The weapons guy smirked.

"Go and save your friends. You go girl!"


	6. Fighting for Haven City

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 6  
By shadows/of/flame 

Light-eco-sage - I am so sorry, Jak and Keira do not get back together, but before you run away in disgust, I have a JakxKeira underway dedicated to you. So hold tight, and when this is finished I'll post it straight away.

Anyway, a lot of OOC in this chappie. Enjoy!

* * *

Fighting for Haven City 

_'I am sorry master... She has a new gun I couldn't tamper with...' _

Erol laughed as he saw the pathetic state Jak was in as he was dragged into the throne room of the Palace.

"Will you EVER die?" Jak hissed, spitting on the ground by Erols feet to prove his point.

Erol started to laugh his head off.

"It looks like you are the Elf In Distress this time Jak. No one is going to waltz in here, kill me and all my Krimzon Guards, and rescue you because..." Erol laughed rather evilly in Jaks ear, "They are ALL in the same predicament as you are!"

Jak was startled. All of his saving the world thing, for it to crumple in front of of him?

"You cannot sink lower than this." Jak spat as he was led to the cells - dragged more than led - where all the other Underground people were that had been captured, and stripped of all of their weapons.

But they had all forgotten about one crucial thing - or person - Keira, the Undergrounds fallen heroine.

"We are doomed to the stretchy machine!" Samos screamed as Jak was thrown into the dirtiest cell they had - apart from Torns. "Jak was OUR LAST HOPEEE!"

_'Waiting here to await certain death... what a great life we lead.'_ Torn grumbled to himself as he sat in a corner of the cell, thinking.

He wished Keira was there to help them...

"Keira..." he murmured. "Keira! She could..."

"Kill us all! We can't rely on HER to save us!" Jak yelled, hitting his fists against the wall. "Shes useless to us! She abandoned us all! Pretty much in our time of need!"

Erol, who was looking around the cells and heard what they were sayng, wasn't tooparticuarly worried about Keiras absence, even though he probably should have been.

"If she ever turns up here, she'll be a pushover! Dead in just so many seconds!" He crowed, seeing the expression of pure horror that passed his prisoners faces.

Erol ordered the metal heads to find Keira, and kill her on sight, but, as before, he didn't think she would become a threat to his upcoming rule of the city.

0o0o0

Keira took the shopkeepers word, but went to the hideout anyway to see if anything could be done.

The hideout was in flames.

Keira searched through the charred rubble as delicately as she could, but found nothing but a few bits of charred wood, a melted bar off one of the bunk beds, and the occasional bit of roof.

She wondered what she could do. She had exactly no idea what Erol was planning, or where he was even. But, Keira knew it probably had something to do with taking over the city, or even worse, the world.

0o0o0

Erol dragged Ashelin out of her grungy little cell, and taped her to a chair by the cities intercity intercom system.

"Tell the WHOLE of Haven City you are abdicating, and give the whole rule of the city and its government to me! Or else Jak dies, all your friends die, and I will raze Haven City to the ground!"

Ashelin didn't really have much choice, and she shakily grabbed the microphone and turned it on.

"Brave Haven City inhabitants..."

Everyone in the town stopped whatever they were doing to listen. Governer Ashelin never led them astray.

"This is Ashelin, your Governer. I am hereby..." there Ashelin took a deep breath, trying not to cry.

"I am hereby... abdicating my role as leader of this... wonderful city... and I am handing all control over to Commander Erol. This will come into effect pretty much straight away... That is all."

At the same time, everyone in the city gasped in disbelief.

Ashelin was abdicating?

And giving complete rule to EROL?

"So thats what Erols up to... and the others are being held hostage in the palace. It looks like I am going to have to break in there and stop him myself..." Keira grumbled under her breath.

The outlook was rather grim, even to Keira herself.

Torn thought she was useless, Jak envied and hated her, and Ashelin loathed her.

She didn't have any REAL friends.

But that was enough for Keira - she joined the Underground to prove her worth, after all.

"Chilli pepper!"

It was Sig. He was running straight towards her, the Peacemaker in hand.

"Need some help to storm the palace?"

Keira nodded happily, and explained the plan quickly to Sig.  
"Everyone thinks you're dead!" Keira exclaimed.

"And they think you're dead too." Sig countered. "So, in the words of your plan, we could really use Daxter to get in and disable the alarms. But hes locked up, and hes no use to us there. We'll have to make do with what we have. Forward Dough Girl!"

Sig hijacked a hover to take them to the palace, and Keira jumped, narrowly getting inside the vehicle, and falling in clumsily head first.

"FOCUS!" Sig yelled as a hoard of Krimzon Guards headed straight for them, blocking their way to the palace.

Keira pulled out the Dragon Fang, and killed some of the more dangerous ones - the ones with rifles.

Since Erol had been in so much of a hurry to get rid of Keira, he had forgotten to arm his army properly, and most of them were without weapons, much to the Undergrounders advantage.

"Can we reach the Palace via the sewers?" Keira asked Sig.

Sig shook his head. "Sorry chillipepper. The Palace was ambushed long ago, and the Leaders son was kidnapped, and taken out of the city somehow via the sewers. After that, the poor fella blocked all entrance to the Palace via the sewers."

Keira sighed rather loudly. "So we just waltz in the front doors?"

Sig grinned. "I never said this would be easy. Its the only way in."

The two allies made sure their guns were fully loaded before blasting down the doors.

"Alert! Alert! Criminal activity by the front entrance on floor one! What should we do Sir?" The newly elected Krimzon Guard captain asked Erol.

Erol chuckled.

"Kill them both."

"Shit!" Keira swore as a bullet clipped her shoulder. She machine gunnedthree Krimzon Guards to death Dragon Fang styles. Sig had no time to congratulate her - it seemed all of the Krimzon Guards in Haven City were after them!

Keira needed to reload, but if she did, she risked getting shot.

She would have to take the risk.

Quickly, Keira grabbed a belt of ammo from her belt, and emptied her empty ammo pellets onto the floor. She then reloaded as quickly and efficiently as she could, but Keira was hit by a bullet in her right forearm.

That was enough to piss her off, and she went wild.

Sig chuckled as the smoke cleared.  
There was not a single LIVE Krimzon Guard to be seen.

The next troop of Krimzon Guards were coming down the stairs to the first floor to join in the fight, but stopped as they saw all the dead officers.

"RETREAT!"

Sig grinned.  
"Alls well so far chillipepper. Lets keep it that way, and leave before more come!"

Keira nodded her agreement, and the pair took the elevator to the throne room.

Erol was there, as expected, witha hundredor more Krimzon Guards at his command.

"Ah... Keira... Sig... take a seat. We can... chat."  
"No!" Keira growled.

The two Undergrounders felt guns pointed at their temples.

"Sit!"

Keira sat, followed by Sig.

"Ah... Keira... It seems you came here to rescue your friends and Torn... your boyfriend."

Keiras eyes narrowed.

"He is NOT! MY! BOYFRIEND!"

Erol chuckled dryly.

"Admit it. You love him!"

Keira shook her head.

"We have never had any imtimate moments. He doesn't love me at all!"

"You do love him - you admitted it yourself."

Theone hundredor so Krimzon Guards started to snigger.

"I..."

She paused. After all they had gone through together, after all the things he had said about her...

"I...I love Torn."

* * *

Cliffie. Its 10:52. Night. 


	7. Traitors and changing sides

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 7  
By shadows/of/flame

* * *

Keira hung her head in shame as the Krimzon Guards started to laugh again. 

"Oh... such big words for a widdle baby!" Erol sneered.

Keira rose from her chair, pointing her gun at Erols temple from a distance.

She looked like she had stepped out of hell - various bullet wounds marking her pale skin, blood staining it, and eyes on fire.

"I will save my friends and overthrow you!"

Erol grinned.  
"I am the Governer of Haven City! You cannot stop me!"

Keira fired her gun at a Krimzon Guard, starting a bloody and long battle.

Sig started mowing down the Krimzon Guards, while Keira focused on Erol.

Keira fired her gun. Erol dodged the shot. Erol fired his laser. Keira dodged the blast. And so on, and so on, until Sig joined Keiras side.

All the Krimzon Guards were dead.

"Its not over yet! Just because the Krimzon Guard are dead doesn't mean I am going down so easily! I can't die! But you can Keira!"

As Erol was gloating his head off, Keira lended one ear, while she noticed a small unarmoured patch by Erols neck. If she could just shoot without drawing attention to herself, he would be dead in minutes...

Erol continued to gloat about how he was invincible, but Keira was no longer listening. She took aim and fired.

It hit Erol square... nowhere. It didn't hit Erol.

All Keira could do was watch as Sig dove in front of Erol and took the bullet for him.

"Traitor!" Was the first thing to come to Keiras shocked brain as Sig died instantly.

Erol started his maniacal laugh again.  
"The stupid brute was working for me all along, and you were too thick and lovestruck to realise! He tampered with your gun so you would fail the mission. When that didn't work, he torched the Underground, held your friends hostage, and gave them to me. It was only a matter of time before you came to their rescue, so Sig lead you to me! And now, I can kill you myself, and all of your friends, so then I can rule Haven City without interference!"

0o0o0

"Can you hear that?" Jak asked, straining his ears to listen.

"Someones about to get their ass kicked..." Torn muttered. "Thats Erols "I am going to tell you my plan for world domination and then kill you" voice."

0o0o0

Erol burst out into full blown laughter. Keira couldn't believe it.

"You... BASTARD!" she screamed, and shoved him out the glass window.

The two went flying onto the balcony, covered with glass but still alive.

A catfight started - literally, because Erol had metal claws attached to his wrists.

Keira delivered punch after punch, and Erol delivered gouge after gouge.

She pulled out her gun and aimed it at Erols head.

"I have been waiting to do this... for 3 whole years!" she screamed, almost as maniacally as Erol had.

Erol was shaking in pure fear, even wetting his pants in sheer fear of what she was about to do. He went all sincere and sorry on her.

"No... babe... after all we have been through together... you wouldn't really kill me... would you?"

Keira started to chuckle, but the chuckle turned into a blood lined cough.

"I would."

And she pulled the trigger.

0o0o0

Jak heard shattering glass, and then a rather loud girly scream erupting from the throne room area.

"Thats Erols scream! I have heard it before!" Jak announced to everyone.

Torn smirked. "Doesn't it seem a bit too... girly?" he asked.

Jak laughed. "That is Erols laugh all right."

0o0o0

Keira staggered to her feet, slipping on the glass coating the balcony.

She felt in Erols pockets for the keys to the cells, and when she didn't find them, went around every Krimzon Guard corpse and Sigs corpse inside, before staggering to the cells.

Keira had heaps of bad wounds, not to mention glass sticking out of all sorts of places, and she was already convinced she was going to die.

But she needed to save her friends.

She unlocked the door to the main cells, and the stench of death hit her almost immediately.

Torn saw her first.

"Keira!"

She paid no attention to him, unlocking his cell, before doing all the rest.

Everyone was trying to talk to her at once, asking how she had made it there alone, and if Erol was dead, but she ignored them.

"Where are you going?" Jak yelled as Keira headed back to the exit.

"I have a city to save." She replied dully.

She limped out of the room, and now Torn was more worried than ever.

"Her wounds... are that bad... like that... and shes still fighting!" Torn gasped.

"She saved our lives... and you said she wouldn't!" Daxter grinned triumphantly.

Jak blushed. "I... know, and I am ashamed of that. She saved our lives... now its time to return the favour!"

Ashelin smiled. "Lets go!"

The Underground group went to scour the Palace for their weapons, and the weapons were in the throne room.

Written just above Sig and Erols dead bodies, in their blood were the words:

**_2 traitors were killed here on the 2nd Tuesday of December. Be glad they are dead, for they have caused more pain than love. _**

"Sig was... Sig was a traitor?" Jak and Daxter exclaimed together.

Torn and Ashelin grabbed everyones equipment, and left the incriminating scene as soon as possible, the corpses and Keiras bloodstained face still stuck fast in their memories.


	8. Saviour of the day

Karigoya yabureme  
Chapter 8  
By shadows/of/flame 

Warning - a slight yaoi touch in here - if you want to look at it THAT way...

* * *

Smoke, fire and ash clogged the streets. Dead bodies were everywhere, and the remaining Krimzon Guard were running rampant trying to keep the Metal Heads under control.

"I can't believe the Palace was just rebuilt, and it'll have to be renovated!" One of them said.  
Another guard agreed "And the Slums! Governer Ashelin just rebuilt that as well!"

Keira coughed and spluttered as she entered the streets, and fell to her knees.

Fire was consuming a large amount of buildings, and shattered glass was coating the walkways. Citizens cowered in their houses, afraid to come out, even though houses were falling all around them.

Keira tried to get some fresh air, and knew she had limited time before the whole city was consumed in flames.

She helped any way she could - helping extingush fires, killing metal heads, and helping save the townspeople that were too dumb to save themselves.

The town was still a huge mess, and there was still so much to be done!

'I hope Ashelin has plenty of money to clean this town up!' Keira smirked to herself, and then coughed up a lot of blood again.

A numbing sensation started spreading up Keiras arm, and she knew the bullet wound was the cause of most of her pain.

But it was too late to comtemplate it, as her senses were weaking, and she couldn't help anymore.

'Is this what its like to finally die?' she wondered as she fell to her knees in final defeat.

'Erol was right... he would be the one to kill me... At least the towns safe, and Erols dead..."

Keira fell forward onto her face, unconcious, maybe even dead, hitting all sorts of debry on her way down...

"Keira!"

Torn didn't think he could scream anymore, but he did, his throat burning from the excessive effort.

_"Keira! Please! Come on! I'm worried about you! I l..."_

Torn stopped, and buried his grimy, blood stained face in his equally dirty hands.

He continued looking anyway, and through a cloud of smoke and a mixture of sand and ash, he saw the outline of a girl, lying half buried in a pile of rubble.

A silvery green gun was lying in her limp grasp.

"Keira!" Torn yelled, tripping over piles of junk, until he reached her.

He dug her out of the rubble, and cradled her in his arms.

Keira opened one of her eyes, and even though her vision was blurry she could see Torns outline shadowed against one of the crispy buildings.

"Torn..."

She was bleeding profusely, and she was as pale as a ghost.  
"I don't think... I am going to live through this war, Torn..."

Torn closed his eyes, and held her even closer.  
"Keira... please... don't die... I have so much more to say..."

He took off his red bandana from his neck, and tore it into strips, which he then tied tightly around some of Keiras worse wounds like a tourniquet.

She smiled weakly at him, loosening her grip on him.

"I am sorry that... I wasn't the right hero material"  
She coughed up more blood, and Torn began to panic.

The only person he had actually ever cared about, more than himself.  
_... Was dying?_

Torn started to cry, sobbing.  
"Please... Keira!"

She smiled faintly, becoming limper than ever, and even more pale than when he first found her.

"I love you Torn..." she whispered, "I'm just sorry that I wasn't good enough to be by your side again..."

Torn smiled weakly. "I love you too Keira."

She went still, and Torn struggled back through the rubble, her in his arms, to find Samos.

Samos found them first, and screamed not bloody, but GIRLY murder.

He grabbed his daughter in a fit of rage and worry, straight out of Torns arms, and went with Tess to heal her as best they could.

Torn realised he had made his way to Freedom HQ, and he slowly collapsed onto the couch, locating a first aid kit, and trying as best he could to tend to his minor wounds.

Ashelin and Jak entered in a slamming of doors, and the screeching of the HellCat cruisiers they were using.

Ashelin grabbed Torn by the collar, and started shaking his already ravaged body to and fro as though he were a ragdoll.

"STOP!" Jak yelled, but it was to no avail, as Ashelin was convinced it was Torns fault.

"WHERE IS SHE? WHERES KEIRA!"

Torn was slammed repeatedly against the back of the couch, until he had the strength to point in the direction Samos and Tess had taken Keira.

Ashelin ran down to her room, and Jak gave Torn some painkillers, and some blankets and pillows so he could sleep on the couch.

"Shes been in a horrible mood lately, so don't dwell on it OK Torn?" Jak smiled, and hugged his friend.

Torn closed his eyes and leaned into his friends embrace, as thoug staying sheltered in his arms would make all his problems go away.

But he knew it wouldn't as he fell asleep.

_'Shes not going to make it, is she?'  
'You'd better wake Torn up... tell him the bad news... so he can see her one last time?'  
'But how will he cope...?'_

Torn started yelling his head off, and woke up by being shaken, covered in sweat from his horrible dream.

Or was it a nightmare? Or was it true?

Torns sea blue eyes adjusted to the sudden change of light, and when the mist of sleep was driven away, he couldn't believe who was sitting on the end of his bed.

She had a sling, and a few stitches here and there, but she was alive, and crushing the blood supply to his feet.

"I think you were having a nightmare... are you OK?" she asked worriedly, placing some more painkillers and a glass of water on the table by the couch.

Torn stripped the blankets off him, careful not to disturb her, and got changed into some 'recovery robes' that would help heal the wounds, because the material had magical properties.

Keira also had them on, except she had a womans type, and she was looking as beautiful as ever.

"Surprised to see me alive? Especially after we were both convinced I was going to die?" she smiled, taking Torns battered hands into her good one.

Torn nodded. "I thought you were going to die... I have never been so worried in my whole life..."

He bowed his head in shame, and Keira hugged him.

"We have a lot to talk about..." she murmured into his shoulder.  
"Oh hell... we do. Sig being a traitor, your promotion..."

She softly grinned.  
"We have to talk about us as well."

He smirked.  
"Lets start at the start, shall we?"


	9. Unfortunate events

Karigoya yabureme  
By shadows/of/flame  
Chapter 9

You are all going to kill me for this chappie... I apologise in advance. :(  
Shoutout to all my reviewers - this ones for all of you! And anymore new ones that review between now and the next time I update.

* * *

___Silence filled the dusty, already silent doctors office as the doctor looked sympathetically at the young man he had just examined._

_His hard but young filled, carefree life was about to take a turn for the worst. A turn for the much, much worse._

_The doctor took a deep breath, and checked the results again, to make sure he wasn't seeing things.  
There was no denying it... it was true._

_"Son... that water you drank... was tainted with Dark Eco. There was a dark eco spill by the river in South Town... You're going to die."_

_The man dropped, ironically, the glass of water he was drinking, and it smashed all over the floor.  
That glass was like his life now...In pieces._

_"This... can't be true! Why! Just when I have found the one true thing in my life I'm happy with!" he screamed, pounding his fists into the doctors chair. The doctor stood by him, a hand on his shoulder sympathetically._

_"I'm sorry son... but only the Baroness can be blamed for not telling everyone about the eco spill. No one else has been poisoned apart from you though."_

_He sunk to his knees in defeat and despair, wondering what he was going to tell them..._

_0o0o0o0_

"Shit!" Torn yelped helplessly as Jak dropped the hammer on his foot for the billionth time that day.  
"Jaaaak!" he groaned, nursing his foot back to health, and grumbling under his breath.

The rebuilding of the city was well underway, and Jak and Torn were in charge of where Ashelin thought was most important seems the Palace was already rebuilt- the reconstruction of the Underground hideout.

Jak just apologised for the billionth time, sounding like a 5 year old as he whined his sympathy, and went back to hammering in all the nails Torn had embedded in the new doorframe. Torn grumbled something about rubber tubing and certain parts of Jaks mother before returning to work, not before being hit on the head lightly with a hammer for his comment.

"I am so glad we are nearly finished this! Once I've slapped on some paint and bought some cool furniture, this place will be the greatest!" Tess beamed. Daxter grinned, as Torn and Jak rolled their eyes.

"No love seats, no pink and no stuffed animals." Torn smirked.

Tess looked crestfallen as the three men - well, 2 men and an ottsel - laughed at her.

"They're just kidding sweetums!" Daxter cooed. "Just not too many loveseats, ok?"  
Tess smirked, and went back to the decorating plans she had been devising.

"Just changing the subject, hows Keira? You'd better be taking good care of her." Jak asked Torn, grinning as the taller elf blushed slightly.  
"Shes OK... shes helping Ashelin prepare for the wedding at the palace last time I knew."

Torn went back to building the walls, and Jak smiled.

_'He deserves her in his life.'_ Jak smiled to himself, before resuming working.

0o0o0o0

"Lets take a break." Ashelin suggested, as Keira finished drawing up the concept sketches for the wedding dress.  
"Come on. I want to show you something outside, and we could go and have lunch afterwards?"

"Yeah sure! But what is it?" Keira asked as Ashelin lead her out of the Palace and down the streets towards the Slums.

Ashelin smiled softly.

"You'll see."

Ashelin led Keira to where the boys, and Daxter and Tess were working, and shouted "TORN! VISITOR!"

Torn peered out from behind the wall he was putting into place, and saw them approaching.

"Keira!" Torn yelled, and she ran straight into his arms.

Keira hugged him tightly, almost squeezing the air out of him, and not letting go.  
"I've missed you!" she beamed.

Torn just held her for a few minutes, and then let her back onto the ground.  
She buried her head in his chest, and they just stood like that for a few minutes.

The others just smiled at the spectacle, and then went back on with their work.

"Are you OK now?" Torn asked, wanting to be reassured by her, not Onin prophecising her death, or Samos shaking his head at her state.

"Of course I am! Since when were you one to worry?"

Torn shrugged slightly, and released her to arms length so he could take a better look at her.  
"You are recovering quite well." He smiled slightly.

She beamed, and gave him a quick kiss.  
"Still a few cuts and bruises, but they'll heal. What about you? You're fine now, right?

Torn was quiet.  
"Well... a lot of things have happened..."

Keira looked at her lover suspiciously.

"What do you mean?"

Torn bowed his head.  
"A dark eco spill has poisoned some of the cities water supply... And I'm dying Keira."

* * *

Torn: (shakes me) You're going to kill me! I have to object.  
Me: Hehehe... It was a short chappie, but hope you liked it! 


	10. Prison, sewers, a reaction, and a new da...

Karigoya yabureme  
Chapter 10  
By shadows/of/flame 

(dodges all rotten fruit and rotten things thrown at me and my muse)  
Heeey! I never said I was going to kill Torn... :D Slight JxK moment in this chappie... :D Did I say slight? Understatement.

* * *

Torn ordered another drink off Daxter, and sighed deeply. No amount of drinking was going to ease the horrible pain he was going through.

Tess ran into the Naughyt Ottsel, tears streaming down her face, and a hysterical look overpowering her usual calm look.

"Is it true Torn?" she sobbed. "Are the rumours true, Torn? Tell me!"

Daxter went down into the back store room to get some more alcohol, and didn't hear Torns reply.

Torn turned his head slowly her way and nodded.  
"I already got the third degree from Keira..." he murmured. "She just gasped, screamed and ran off. I haven't... seen her since."

Tess hugged Torn tightly, and he wiped away some of her tears.

"Shes scared to death for you Torn... we all are."

Torn was silent. His stomach was in knots ever since he had found out the news.  
"Hows Ashelin taking it?" he asked, emptying another shot of vodka.

Tess sighed. "No ones taking the news of your disease very well. They all care for you Torn, and no one wants to see their favourite Commander die..."

Torn sighed, and closed his eyes tightly, imagining himself on his death bed, and his friends all sobbing around him.  
"Thats the problem. It's gonna be harder for me to leave then."

Torn bade goodbye to Tess, and quickly left his liquor behind at the Naughty Ottsel.

He started off towards the Bazaar.  
Not many people noticed he was there, which was excellent, since he planned to make his visit short.

The flaps of the tentrustled slightly in the breeze as Torn pushed them back.  
Onin was sitting, crosslegged as usual, in the middle of the floor.

Pecker looked up and saw Torn, and his face fell.

"Onin knows why you are here. Oh, who cares about that! Torn... Onin knows of a way to save you."

Torn frowned at the irrational bird. Did he care that Torn was dying, or did he just want to show off about his fortune telling skills.

"Are you sure I'm not cutting into your siesta time?" Torn asked dryly as he leant against the doorframe.

Pecker ignored the brunettes barbed comment.  
"Should I tell you or not Tattoed Wonder?"

-

Keira just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed as Jak and Ashelin held her close.  
All three of them were at the Palace, just sitting on the floor, comforting each other.  
Jak stroked Keiras hair, and kissed her forehead as she cried onto Ashelins lap.

"Why is this happening?" Keira choked, trying hard not to break down. "Why did he drink that water? Why does HE have to die!"  
Ashelin sighed deeply, keeping welcoming arms around Keira.

"I should have warned everyone about the eco spill... but I didn't think it would get into the water. And even if it did, that waters not very safe to drink anyway..."

Keira didn't say a thing, just continued crying silently.  
"Just cry." Jak murmured, still stroking her hair.

Ashelin bowed her head. Why had Jak and her been so horrible to Torn and Keira? She felt a pang of guilt run through her stomach, and she held Keira close.

"We're sorry Keira." she said finally.  
Keira took a deep breath or two to calm herself down, and Ashelin pried herself from the sobbing girl to get her a tissue.

Keirawriggled around until she was lying in Jaks lap, and he smiled weakly.

"When did you stop loving me Jak?" she asked quietly.  
Jak resumed stroking her hair again as he spoke.

"I never did... But I started loving Ashelin... and then you were all smitten with Torn... so I decided to see how things turned out. And it turns out, we are better off friends, and we are happy with who we have now."

Keira smiled at her former lover.  
"Is she good in bed?" she teased.

Jak was glad Keira was trying to cheer up, and grinned.  
"Shes OK."

Keira chuckled, and went quiet again.  
Jak just kept stroking her hair, until Ashelin came back with a damp flannel and some tissues.

Jak 'cleaned' Keira up, and she giggled softly at his touch.  
Ashelin smiled slightly, and pulled the two into a hug.

They would all miss Torn, but he wouldn't want them to miss him too much.  
He wasn't like that.

-

"Wheres my buddy tattooed wonder?" Daxter asked as he entered the Naughty Ottsel.  
"You... haven't heard have you?" Tess sighed, her chest heaving. She then remembered he had left the room just before Torn had confirmed the bad news.

"Wha... whats wrong with Tattooed Wonder?" Daxter asked, fear evident in his voice.

Tess started crying. "Hes got Dark Eco poisoning. Hes dying Daxter."

-

Pecker went on and on about Light Eco, until Torn cut in.  
"Jaks harnessed the last of the Light Eco. There has to be another way to heal me - theres no Light Eco left."

Pecker sighed, and Onin started her chanting and waving again.  
"There is another way, concerning the Dark Eco Freak, but it will be dangerous, and very risky."

"What is it then?" Torn exclaimed

Pecker sighed. "Impatient, aren't we? Very well. Onin says theres another way to heal you - to balance the eco already in your body."

"Whaat?" Torn demanded, getting impatient.

Pecker sighed. "You will have to be submitted to Dark Eco treatments."

Torn felt his body go numb.  
"Thats the only way to save me?"

Pecker nodded. "Pretty much."

"Fine. But you can't tell anyone OK? Make something else up. Like... I'm... doing something... else."

The bird nodded.  
"This way... to the eco treatments!"

Torn followed Pecker out of the tent into the sewers where the torture equipment was kept with a heavy heart.  
He was going to have a dark side too.  
IF the eco didn't kill him first.

"I never thought I'd see that needle again." Torn murmured as he saw the gigantic, blood-stained eco needle.

Pecker strapped him into the chair, and tried to be sympathetic.  
"This will hurt a lot Torn... are you positive this is what you want?"

Torn relaxed slightly in the restraints, and nodded.  
"Get it over with." he growled.

Pecker crossed his heart with his feathers, and activated the eco.

Torns screams of anguish could be heard all over the city.

-

_He writhed around on the floor, gasping for air, not ready for more torture.  
"Please... no more!" he gasped._

_But he was hauled to the chair again, and given a huge dose._

_His vision went cloudy, and he felt like vomiting.  
Who knew how long he had been in the filthy, dark, sweat-stained cells for, being injected and beaten daily._

_'That... bird... said this beating was the only way to make me feel pain.' he coughed, blood splattering onto the floor in small droplets._

_How much longer would this last?_

_His vision swam with pictures of a bird.  
"Onin says you have to have had this treatment for 4 weeks straight before, arrrwk, your eco balance is the same."_

_'How long has it been? Have I had enough yet? Can they stop?'_

_What about his friends? What were they going to think of the new him?  
They thought he was already dead, buried beneath the sands of Spargus where he had originally said he was going to die._

_No rest for the immoral._

_He felt his bones crackling with Dark Eco, and his skin took on a tinge he had never thought possible. His dreadlocks were plastered to his face by blood and grime, and faint stubble had started to appear around his chin._

_He thought he was going to die in there.  
All alone.  
And doomed to never see her again._

* * *

Sort of an angsty bit. Thats a longish chappie, hope you like it!  
Torn... I am never speaking to you again for this.  
Me: Mwaha... I'll be nicer next chapter. Forward!


	11. Prison blood

Karigoya yabureme  
Chapter 11  
By shadows/of/flame 

My siblings... Argh, one gave me his plague. But that gives me and my muse an excuse to update!  
_Torn: (lets me sit on his lap and type)_  
Enjoy.

* * *

The cell doors clanked and shuddered as they were wrenched open.  
Light fell onto the lone figure, lying crumpled and sobbing in the corner, a shadow of his former self. 

Jak looked at the tortured elf, pity evident in his sea blue eyes.  
Daxter was distraught to see Torn in the state he was in.

Jak examined the shape Torn was in, which was really bad, and carried him out of the cells.

"Hes been through heaps!" Daxter whistled, fear evident in his features.

Jak carried Torn back to his house bridal style, bathed his wounds, and put him in his room upstairs.

Torn was curled up in a tight ball, refusing to co-operate with the blonde.

Jak sighed, and tucked Torn in gently, minding the big gash covering his chest.  
Torn fidgeted slightly, then went still, his chest going up and down with his breathing.

Jak smiled softly, and ordered Daxter to look after Torn while he told Onin and Pecker the good news.

000

Keira ran hysterically through the streets - she had no idea where Torn was, he had been missing for the past month. To her, that was. Only 4 people knew of Torns treatments apart from himself, and he was hardly in any shape to talk.

She was convinced that Jak would be the first to have news of Torns return, so she ran to Jaks house every so often to see.

Jak heard a knock at the door, and knew Keira was coming for her daily update.

Sure enough, as he groggily pulled open the door, a hysterical Keira was standing on the doorstep.

"Any news of..."  
"No." Jak said, not wanting to lie to his ex, but if she saw Torn how he was, she'd flip out.

His cover was blown as Daxter bounded down the steps.

"Tattooed... Ah, Keira!" he said, easily covering up his slip of the tongue.

Keira sighed, and turned to leave.  
"Sorry for bothering you everyday like this..." she murmured, but was cut short by screaming from upstairs.

"No more! Please! Not the needle!"

Keira spun around and glanced towards the stairs, fear evident in her gaze.  
"What are you hiding up there!" she gasped.

Jak slapped a hand to his forehead, wishing Torns timing had been a LITTLE bit better.

"Restrain her Dax. This could get ugly."

And then he was gone, dashing up the stairs almost with godlike speed.

"What? Restrain me? Why!" Keira screamed.

000

Jak ran into Torns room, where the brunette was tossing and turning on his bed.

"Sssh!" Jak hissed, restraining Torn, holding the taller elf to him.  
Torn continued to fidget, and the screaming died down.  
After a while, Torn calmed down, and his eyes lost their firey glow.

Jak thought he would go back to sleep, but a claw dug into his shoulder, blood spurting briskly from the wound.

Jak was painfully spun around to face Dark Torn.

"SHIT!" Jak swore, and the nagging at the back of his mind told him Dark Jak wanted this fight.

The two friends dark sides battled in the small room, using their claws for all their worth.

The fight continued into the narrow corridor leading back to the stairs, and Dark Jak stumbled backwards to avoid Dark Torns sharp claws.

Big mistake.

The two went flying down the staircase, to land in a heap in the kitchen, and Keira screamed.

"What the...!"

Daxter screeched, and narrowly avoided Dark Torns claws digging into him, instead embedding themselves in the ground where he had been moments ago.

Keira gasped as she saw Dark Torn.

"Torn...?"

Dark Torn smashed Dark Jak into the stairs with a sickening thud, and then rounded on Keira.

She stood silently and still, not wanting to aggravate him even further.

Dark Torn advanced onto Keira, and she started shaking with fear.

"Stop this! Torn, its me! Keira!"

Jak emerged from the rubble of the stairs, groaning, blood dripping from a cut above his right eyebrow.  
"No... KEIRA! WATCH OUT!" he yelled.

Dark Torn slashed at Keira, and 2 diagonal cuts appeared on her cheek.  
She was in shock, blood dribbling down her cheek, but she didn't even notice the annoyance.

"Torn... please. Stop this... is this what you've become? A killing machine? What about the Torn we all know and love? Where did he go?"

Dark Torn was knocked back by a blast of light eco from Jak, and soon Torn was back to his normal self, albeit one with a huge gash in his chest.

Keira fell to her knees, and all went black.

000

_'Stitches? Thats a bit bad, isn't it?'_

_'A huge laceration... on his chest. He may not live...'_

_'That Light Eco helped a little, but whether or not it will keep him alive is a different story...'_

_'Hes lost too much blood, we need a blood transfusion...'_

_'Whos B minus that can donate? That blood type is very rare...'_

_'If we can't find a donor, he'll die!'_

000

Keira woke up with a start.  
She was in hospital, and Jak smiled as he saw her awake.  
Both had stitches on their cheeks, and Jaks smile seemed rather hollow.

"Wheres Torn?" Keira asked.  
Jak sighed.

"He needs a blood donor close to B minus. Its a very uncommon blood type, and..."  
Keira thought a minute.

"I'm B minus. I'll donate to him."

"Are you sure?" Jak asked suspiciously.  
"Positive."

Jak went to tell the doctors about Keiras plan.

Keira closed her eyes, calming down.  
She wanted Torn to live as much as everyone else, and if she could help him...  
That would be even better.

000

The transfusion was made, and all Keira could do was recuperate... and wait.

A few days later, someone came into her room, and gently shook her awake.

"Keira..."

She opened her eyes groggily, and...

"Torn!" she exclaimed, hugging him not too tightly.  
He hugged back, and then held her at arms length.

"Jak told me what happened... everything."  
Keiras brow furrowed.

"I must apologise for hurting you."

"Theres nothing to be forgiven for... But did Jak tell you... EVERYTHING?"

Torn sat at the edge of her bed.  
"He told me about the attack... and the transfusion. Why did you give me blood?"

Keira smiled softly.  
"Is loving you not enough of a reason?"

000

The two returned to the finished hideout, and Torn smirked, inspecting the paint job.  
"Good as new... our friends did a good job."

She hugged him from behind, and grinned.  
A ribbon was covering the entrance, and Torn snipped it with scissors.

The door slid open as it used to, and Torn gasped.

It was a spotless wonder - the war table was still there, and the zoomer was there too, but everything else was.. white, and clean.

The pairs eyes were dazzled by how great it looked.

"This is a lot better." Keira said, inspecting the new kitchen. It was the same kitchen with the same sorts of walls that she had thrown the curry againstall those weeks ago, but this was a bigger kitchen.

There were 2 small plaques in the new hideout - one where Keira had thrown the curry against the wall, and it read "In memory of the curry" with Jak and Jinx' signatures, and one on the restored war table.

Keira kissed Torn and smiled.  
"The things your friends do for you are astounding?"

The two spun around to see Ashelin and Tess.  
They were smiling... and their arms were laden with junk food.

"Whats all that food for?" Keira asked suspiciously.

Jak and Daxter, plus Jinx entered next.

"Heard there was a party on here! Well, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Jak grinned

"A PARTY!" the lovebirds chorused.

Tess started dancing.  
"I'm - coming in- so you'd better get this party started!"

Everyone laughed, and the party really did start.

000

Torn watched his friends having fun, a smile gracing his face.  
The party was running quite smoothly, and the absence of large amounts of alcohol soothed Torns nerves greatly.

But he felt isolated, much as Jak had done when he was experimented on. Because he was different...

Keira sat behind him, and wrapped her arms gently around his scar.

"I wanna dance." she giggled.  
Torn smirked.

"OK, one dance!"

Keira laughed.  
"One? In your dreams, tattooed wonder."

* * *

Yeah, changed a few things. Next chappie up soon! 


	12. SMACK

Karigoya yabureme  
Chapter 12  
By shadows/of/flame

This chappies for Sull.  
Please don't kill me! (cowers behind Torn)

* * *

_You need to work on making a better first impression..._

"I swear they said that it was just a funeral! Not a blimen' fashion statement!" Torn groaned rather loudly, drawing attention to himself.

Keira glared evilly at him as she tried on yet another black dress, a pile of discarded ones lying in wrinkled lumps by her feet.  
He just rolled his eyes at her in sarcasm, and continued waiting for her.

Torn was still waiting an hour later as she asked for a pink dress in a black colour with different material.

"Are you finished?" Torn complained, yet again as loudly as he could, and drawing even more attention tohimself.

Keira came out of the shop in the end, with 7 bags, and Torn smacked his head in utterfrustration.  
"I said you needed one dress! Not 7 baags!"

She giggled shyly, twirling the bags around on her fingers, almost hitting Torn, and the two of them went back to the Underground to change.

00000

Jak sighed loudly, wishing that he didn't have such a difficult fiancee. Why did she always take things the wrong way?

"It looks absolutely_ gorgeous_ on you! Itsfine! It doesn't make you look fat... I did NOT say that! When did I say that?"

He went downstairs into the kitchen for a refreshing cold drink - they had to be at the funeral in 20 minutes, and she was wailing at the top of her lungs that he said she was fat!

"Women!" Jak wailed, downing a small whisky.

Jak recognised Ashelins clonky footsteps on the tiles behind him, and Ashelin apeared behind him, wearing the first dress she tried on.  
Jak rolled his eyes, and escorted her to the hover.

They were already late.

00000

"May they rest in... peace. Amen."  
Everyone bowed their heads in respect as Sig and Erols coffins were lowered into the ground, and everyone knew, safely, that they were finally dead, and nothing could ever bring them back.

Thank Mar.

The funeral was generally very uneventful, mainly because no one wanted to REALLY be at the funeral of two traitors,and Jak and Ashelin quickly left as soon as the service was over to discuss last minute wedding plans and details.

Torn wrapped his arms around Keira and smirked, indicating for her to start walking with him back to the hideout.  
"Lets go, shall we?" she smiled, starting to walk away from the still raw emotional scars that was her old life - the two men she had murdered in cold blood. The old scars of her friends in prison, the torture they were subjected to.

_And also the fact that the Tattooed Wonder was by her side, and all hers._

Keira held Torns hand tightly as they walked down the main road in the twilight, enjoying each others company, zoomers and hovers rushing past them, oblivious.

Torn loved the serene peace in his surroundings, and Keira just drank in the silence.

"The weddings in only a few days huh?" Keira murmured, breaking the silence like shattering glass.

"Yeah... its a big shock that they're getting married. But I'm happy for them."

Torn rested his chin on Keiras head as they stopped for a brief rest.  
"It doesn't matter anymore - we should thank them for making us happy!" Keira giggled, moving Torns head to claim a kiss from his lips.

"I never thought you and me would be together... Not that I'm complaining." she giggled, wrapping her arms around his still raw scar.  
He actually smiled.

A loud explosion erupted behind them, and Torn turned around quickly enough to see the flaming hover that was coming straight for them...

SMACK.

* * *

Hehehe... Comments? 


	13. Me, Juliet?

Karigoya yabureme  
Chapter 13  
By shadows/of/flame 

(gapes)(sweatdrop)  
Light-eco-sage... (shakes head) You're too smart sometimes.  
Credit to Kuro Kin'youbi for majorly better-ing!

* * *

_A loud explosion erupted behind them, and Torn turned around quickly enough to see the flaming hover that was coming straight for them..._

_SMACK._

* * *

Keira slapped Torn again, trying to get his eyes off the speeding, burning hover that was approaching them.  
"COME ON! GET DOWN!" she screamed, diving onto him rather awkwardly.

The two went rolling across the concrete, smashing into a merchants stall. Everyone in the area heard the explosion and went to see if the leader of the Freedom League and his girlfriend were ok.  
The hover hit the very air where they had been standing, and Keira examined a gash on Torns cheek.

"Are you OK?" Torn gasped, sitting up.  
"Yeah, but that was close!" Keira panted.

Torn helped Keira up, and they looked around, especially in the area where they had been. Keira saw a black figure with a bazooka running round the corner out of sight. She nudged Torn.

"... Someones trying to kill us!" Keira gasped, running after the hooded figure.  
"Where are you going?" Torn yelled, following her.

Keira ran as fast as she could, pushing past the crowd through the city. Torn was just behind her, yelling at her to stop. Keira's legs were as wobbly as jelly from the fright and agony she had been in in the past 10 or so minutes.

"Get back here!" she yelled, but knew she had no more energy and collapsed to her knees.  
"What is going on?" Torn exclaimed as he caught up with her.

Keiras eyes were hollow, the colour drained out of her face.  
"Someones trying to kill us."

0000000000

Jak was unimpressed as he was shown the dress.  
"Somehow" a huge stain had made its way onto the front, and he was NOT impressed. He decided to get over his anger in the best way he knew how...

"So, SOMEHOW a huge stain got onto the front of this dress?" he yelled, glaring at the shaking tailors that were holding the dress up.

"Y... yes sir!" one of them squeaked.

Jak rolled his eyes.  
"Fix it. I want a proper, stainless job. The weddings next week, and the dress has a stain! I want it fixed."

The two tailors scurried off, glad that their lame excuse had passed.

A Freedom Guard peeked around the corner, to see if it was safe enough yet, and addressed Jak.

"Two of your friends have arrived at the front gate, hysterical. We thought they were suspicious, so we didn't let them in..."

The unfortunate Freedom Guard never finished his sentence.

Jak lifted the Freedom Guard up by his neck, and propelled him across the room, breaking his neck as he hit the wall.  
By then, Jak was on his way down the stairs to the Palaces front doors, and he let Torn and Keira in.

"Whats going on?" Jak asked.  
Keira ran across the hall and dropped down by Jak's feet, finally breaking down into tears she had needed to cry for so long. Torn knelt down by her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  
"S... someones trying to kill us!" Keira sobbed.

Jaks eyes widened. He was appalled. _In this city? Assassins? What was the world coming to?  
_"What?"

"Th... we were walking.. and a hooded figure fired a bazooka at us... and"  
Keira was shaking - the pain and exhaustion wearing her down.

"They blew up half of the street... They were trying to kill us." Torn finished, also shaking himself.

Jak promised he'd help them in any way possible, and started by going to get some servants to tend to the couple, and got some camomile tea sorted out to calm them down.

00000000000

It was growing dark. Keira was shaking uncontrollably as she pulled the straps of her pants over her head and let them fall to the floor.

_'If Torn had died today...'_

She choked at the thought, tears rising in her eyes and splashing lightly down her cheek.

She cried as she slipped the ready prepared night gown over her head, the silk soothing to her battered skin.

Jak had said she could have a shower in the morning, and she couldn't have agreed more, as she was tired, and too worn out to see straight.

Keira flopped onto her double bed, curling up under the smooth sheets.  
Her eyes slowly closed... she was falling into a world where it was just her and Torn... but not for long.

A sudden depression in the mattress occured, and Keiras eyes flew open to see Torn glaring at her. The look on his face horrified her, and she shrunk back a bit.

"Wha- what did I do wrong?" Keira mumbled, hoping she wasn't going to be yelled at.

Torn said nothing, but pulled her to him and enveloped her in a warming hug.

"You could have died today..." Keira murmured, brushing her lips across Torns unscarred cheek.

"I know... thanks to you, I'm still alive."

Keira wrapped the covers around Torn, and kissed him passionately.  
The fear of someone coming in to her room in the middle of the night and brutally killing her was washed away by the mere presence of Torn. He made her feel... happy, in these dark times.

"Thanks to me?" she whispered, lying back and curling up next to Torn.

"Of course." He said, trailing kisses down her neck. "If you hadn't warned me you'd probably be planning a funeral, not a wedding."

She giggled at the warmth of the kisses and Torn's silly remark. But after the giggle she thought about what it WOULD have been like planning his funeral. Torn noticed this.

"What?" He asked.

She looked at him, and couldn't really outline him easily in the dark. She shook her head.

"I was thinking about what I would have done if I'd had to have planned your funeral. It would be... like Romeo and Juliet. You'd be Juliet. I see you, supposedly dead, so I kill myself to be with you."

Torn nearly choked in laughter. Not the crazy laugh, just a soft chuckle.

"Me? Juliet?" He grinned.

She smiled and kissed him.

"Of course. You're MY Juliet." Keira replied.

Torn grinned. He lay on his back and watched Keira. She was relaxing way more now, getting sleepier. He was getting tired, and thought that they should try and sleep.

"I love you, Torn." Keira murmured.

Torn kissed the top of her head and smiled. "I love you too, Keira. Try to sleep now, alright?"

"Okay. Seems you insist. Goodnight, Juliet."

Torn chuckled and closed his eyes.

"Night, Keira."

Torn lay there for a while, thinking. Something was bothering him, and he would soon find out what it was. A rumbling noise filled the quiet skies around the Palace. Torn sat up, causing Keira to stir.

"Wha- Torn, what's that sound!"

Torn jumped out of bed and looked out the window. He saw balls of light coming directly towards the Palace. He heard them collide. The Palace rocked violently.

"TORN!" Keira screamed.

Torn knew then - they had to get out. The Palace was going to fall.


	14. Hes not here

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 14  
By shadows/of/flame

I'm sorry bout totally overusing hospitals... I promise there are no more in KY!

* * *

_The Palace was falling...  
They had to get out of there._

"Torn... what are we going to do? We have to get out of here!" Keira exclaimed, losing her balance as the Palace rocked violently. 

Torn grabbed Keira, and held her close as the Palace continued to fall.  
He looked out the window, and saw how close the Palace was to smashing into the ground.

There had to be something he could do, and fast.

He started slightly panicking as the ground kept coming up closer, but then a brainwave washed over him.

He grabbed Keira, slung her over his shoulder, and ran down the hallway to the meeting room.

"What in blazes are you doing?" Keira yelled, wondering if Torn was in his right mind or not.

He didn't even hear her - the sound of their deaths were fast approaching, and he was too wrapped up in getting them to safety to notice.

Torn went down into the dungeons, and Keira knew he was crazy.  
**The walls were stone - they'd be crushed within minutes!**

"Torn! What the hell are you thinking?" Keira exclaimed, smacking him sharply on the back with her fists as he kept running.

He just grunted, and entered a small side room.

They only just made it as the Palace fell completely to the ground, crushing all in sight.

00000000

Jak and Ashelin watched as the palace fell, crashing to the ground.

Ashelin was glad everyone got out safely, and relaxed in Jaks welcoming arms, when she screamed.

"Keira! Torn! Where are they?"

Jaks eyes widened with shock and fear.  
"W... are you... they must be..."

The couple searched around the survivors huddled helplessly under shelters to hide from the advancing rain, but alas the pair was nowhere to be found.

Jak couldn't believe it.

"Dead?" he gasped, falling to his knees wearily, grief grasping his body as he started to cry.

Ashelin couldn't help but cry too - what horrible fate had befallen their friends?

And the biggest question was; did the person that blew up half the bazaar attack Torn and Keira at the Palace and kill them?

0000000000

Keira choked as dust clogged her lungs.  
Torn wasn't crazy after all - somehow, with some miracle, that tiny room had saved them.

But where was he?

She coughed violently as she sifted through the rubble, trying to find the Freedom Guard commander.

After minutes of fruitless searching, she found him, lying broken and bruised under the ruins of the conference room.

"Torn!" she yelled, leaping huge gaps and fallen rafters to reach her fallen lover.

"Ker..." he coughed, turning his head slightly so he could look at her.

"Can you move?" she asked, wiping his sweat stained hair from his forehead.

He shook his head slowly, wincing at the pain in his neck.  
"Broken leg... sprained spine... can't move much."

Keira closed her eyes, and held Torns clammy hands in hers, wishing a flash of inspiration would come to her.

She had to save Torn!

He looked at her, slightly concerned for her awareness.  
"Ker? Just leave me here, go and tell Jak and Ashelin. I'll be fine her..."

"No. I'm not leaving you behind!"

Torn chuckled weakly.

"Ker... if you don't, I'll die."

Keira closed her eyes again, squeezing his hands even tighter.

"I am not arranging your funeral. The bastard thats trying to kill us will NOT win Torn, I swear."

Torns face paled slightly, as he remembered someone was trying to kill them.

Keira managed to get Torn into a sitting position, and without much hesitation, helped him stand, placing the weight in his uninjured leg.

The two walked slowly but steadily through the neverending rubble, taking each chunk of rubble one hobble at a time.  
After a few minutes hobbling, the pair was stopped by a gulf, filled with water as deep as from Keiras waist down.

"You'll have to leave me here... I can't get across." Torn murmured, slumping his shoulders in defeat.

Keira lowered him into a sitting position again, and just as he was certain she was going to leave him, she picked him up gently, hooking his legs over her arms.

He gaped at her, astonished, and she just waded confidently through the gulf, water soaking immediately into her trousers.

Torn closed his eyes, and rested his head on her chest, passing out cold.

0000000000

The royal couple sat numb, life milling on as usual around them. Everyone seemed to be recovering from the attack, and some of the Freedom Guard had ordered some Wastelander vehicles to come and help to clean up the rubble.

"My lord, my lady... would you like some tea?"  
An old lady hobbled over, and Jak gave her a shadow of a smile, taking two cups for them.

He gave one to Ashelin, and the two drank the hot liquid in silence, grief for their friends heavy around them.

Jak looked towards the ruins, and through the fog, he saw a walking figure, carrying someone.

As though in a dream, he recognised the face.  
His eyes widened in shock as he realised he wasn't dreaming... she was alive.  
But he was also surprised at who was being carried.

0000000000

The blue haired mechanic had taken enough - fog was like a thick blanket around her, and she had been walking and tripping over rubble and debris for the longest time.  
She lay Torn down on some ripped up sheets that were left in a ruined bed side table, and snuggled up next to him, losing all concious thought.

_It was so cold... would he make it?_

Jak eased the now sleeping Ashelins arms from around his neck, and crawled slowly over to the collapsed couple.

The commanders leg was lying at a very odd angle, and his face was as pale as the sheets he was lying on.

"Ashelin!" he yelled, waking the red-headed sleeping beauty from her slumber.

She wearily opened her eyes, giving them time to adjust.

"TORN!"

00000000000

The lights were dim, and nurses bustled all around the Undergrounds hospital.

Keira opened one eye blearily, and saw white shapes moving around like ghosts.

Her vision cleared, and she recognised the hospitals general setting.

Keiras memory recalled what had happened, and she panicked, knocking over the pitcher of water placed at her bedside.

"Hey! Calm down! You'll hurt yourself!"

Ashelin was at her side in an instant.

"W... wheres Torn?" the blue head gasped.

The red head bowed her head.

"Hes not here."

* * *

Like I said, no more hospital scenes in KY.  
Sorry, this is really late :P 


	15. Oh Mar, theres a body there

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 15  
By shadows/of/flame 

This chappies for all my reviewers. I am so evil...  
Also, I have a stomach bug, and Sull begged me to write this before Gray's Anatomy came on, so here we go!

And I cried while writing the 2nd section of this...

* * *

No one could believe the utter silence that was echoing around the hospital. 

She wouldn't believe it, _Ashelin had to be lying!_ Keira tried to convince herself, not believing her pointy ears.

"Wh... what do you mean, hes not here?" she choked, her heart stopping almost immediately.  
Ashelin sighed deeply, trying to comfort the young mechanic.

"No ones found him at all, we think hes gone missing Keira... Save his red scarf..."

Ashelin held it out to Keira, and she hugged it close, inhaling Torns scent. A bit of alcohol, along with the scent of cinammon cookies.

The scent that she had inhaled oh so many times, and somehow it was comforting to her.

_We think hes gone missing... Keira... No ones found him at all..._

Ashelin was shocked as Keira bolted upright once more, ripping the IV out of her arm and flinging back the sheets, before collapsing into a heap on the floor, sobbing, too weak to go any further, clutching Torns scarf to her chest.

"Don't try and stop me! Please!" she screamed as Jak came in, and gaped at her, wondering what was going on.  
"I have to find him! Hes still out there, we have to go to him!"

Jak restrained her as she flailed, helpless,screaming her lungs out as she demanded to know where Torn was.

"Wheres Torn!" she screamed, losing her energy and collapsing helplessly into Jaks welcoming arms.

Ashelins face was blank as she knelt beside Keira, eyes full of sorrow.  
"You were cuddled up in his arms when we found you both..."

"Then he should be here! With us!" Keira retorted, stinging Ashelin, but Jak continued.

"He could easily be at Haven Cities main hospital."

Keiras eyes widened in shock.  
"Are you sure? Haven Cities one is only for the..."

"Intensive Care Unit. Major injuries." Jak finished for her.

Keira was silent, the other two expecting her to explode with grief at any moment.  
But she was quiet as she had ever been, tears of grief rolling down her now pale cheeks.

"... Is he gonna be OK?" she choked, letting Jak put her back into bed, tuck her in and put the IV back in her arm.

Jak sat beside the green haired mechanic, stroking her hair gently in a hope that the poor girl would calm down.

"We don't know if hes even there. He could still be trapped in the ruins." Ashelin sighed, trying not to cry herself as she sat beside her friends bedside again.

Keira closed her eyes, wishing Torn was there, safely with her, even if he was in a different room to her...

She wanted to know that he was safe.

"... Where are you?" she murmured as a nurse came in, and injected her with anesthetic.  
She felt groggy, and fell asleep, her dreams filled with visions of Torn.

000000000000

Mountains of rubble and debris surrounded Torn as he awoke, choking at the amount of dust clogging his mouth.  
"Keira?" he yelled, his throat burning.

He tried to see what was around him without hurting his spine more than it already was, looking to see if Keira was anywhere nearby.

She was nowhere to be seen.  
In fact... there was no one anywhere to be seen. Save all the dead bodies strewn all around him, their faces pale as chalk.

"...Keira..." he whispered, lying back down on the rubble, wishing for a miracle.  
He remembered someone carrying her away, whispering that it was going to be alright, and then sudden blackness.

There was no hope for him; mountains of rubble lay around him, with no visible way out.

_'It must have shifted while I was unconcious... Shifted to a point where I can't get out.'_ he thought sadly to himself, impending doom hanging above his head.  
His leg was still broken, and his spine was so bruised to the point that he could barely move without hurting himself.

His knife lay only inches from his grasp, and he smiled weakly as he picked it up, wondering how much people would miss him...

00000000000

Jak and Ashelin left Keira at the hospital, and walked hand in hand back to the Palace ruins.  
Ashelins eyes misted over as she saw, the closer they got to the ruins, the more dead people there were.

He squeezed her hand tightly, trying to get her to relax.  
They'd have to face the ghastly ruins of her old home sometime.

The couple reached the ruins of their once home, and Ashelin gazed at the Palace ruins, not believing it was destroyed again.

Jak held her tightly in his arms, his head on her shoulder, also wondering who was trying to kill their friends.  
"Who would want Torn dead?" Jak murmured, voicing his fears out loud.

Ashelin wondered for a moment, and remembered...  
The Undergrounds 3rd in command, constantly jealous of Torn...

"No... it couldn't be..." Ashelin murmured.

But her mind was on other things apart from Torns supposed assassin as she saw a pool of red among the ruins, and she shivered.  
"What is it?" Jak asked, worried that she was cold or something.  
She pointed to the puddle, of what seemed to be blood, and Jak gasped.

Since he was generally taller, he could see a lot more than she.

"Th... theres a body there."

Ashelin went still, not wanting to believe it.

"Theres blood all around... Oh my god..."

Jak ran forward towards the body, which had a cresent-shaped knife in its outstretched hand,disbelief, horror and sadness dominating his face.

"Its... Its Torn."


	16. Do you believe?

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 16  
By shadows/of/flame 

XD 100 reviews guys! Woohoo! Hm, next chappie a bit early as a present then? And Sull... GENIUS! (gives everyone a Erol plushie)

* * *

Frozen. Not being able to move. Numb.

All these words described Ashelin as she watched Jak scramble over the rubble to where Torn was lying, cold and pale, his eyes glassy, knife still lying _untouched_ in his outstretched palm.

"This can't be happening!" Jak yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks. He wasn't usually one to show emotion, but... Torn? The usually hard-ass commander with a stuck up attitude, ready to face anything?

Gone?

Jak hugged Torn to his chest, not believing it for a second, trying to fall under the illusion that he was still there.

"H... he can't be dead." Ashelin choked, dropping to Jaks side, checking Torn for a pulse.

Surprisingly, there was a faint pulse, but it was becoming weaker and weaker.

"Jak! Hes still alive, but he won't make it to the hospital! What are we going to do?"

Jak felt helpless - how could he save Torn?  
As Ashelin became more and more frantic beside him, he knew he had to do something.

But what could he do?

It was the Palace ruins - nothing but dust and grime as far as they eye could see.

00000000000

The tossing and turning failed to cease as Keira slept restlessly in the hospital.

A while after 8, she awoke to hurried footsteps clicking and shuffling endlessly outside her desolate room.

She started to despair as the nurse that entered the room told her that nothing had been heard from Jak nor Ashelin since theyhad left, and was almost at the point where she had to be injected with calming drugs to soothe her nerves.

She could hear people rushing around outside, and began to think something bad had happened...  
"Whats happening?" Keira whispered, the wind howling ferociously outside, and the rain pattering sofly on the windows.

'Torn... please be safe. Please don't be dead..." she whispered, drawing her blankets more tightly around her as she wept uncontrollably, wishing that they had never gotten into this mess.  
But of course, trouble was inevidable, and she knew that by having to fend for herself in Haven City for almost 3 years.

And after Jak left her, abandoned her, sealed with a kiss with another woman, and Torn took pity on her, and invited her to the Underground, it had all began...

_"You're a sharp girl. We could use one like you in the Underground. Interested in joining?"_

**YOU **_were kissing _**JAK**_. I gave Keira a helping hand because she wanted to prove herself. To prove that she didn't need to depend on anyone anymore!"_

_"I had a Dawn Raid when I had my first gun. In fact..."_

_"The mission outlines were _**PERFECTLY**_ clear - you disobeyed them. It was not a difficult mission, but more an important one. You failed everyone!"_

_"We are doomed to the stretchy machine! Jak was OUR LAST HOPEEE!"_

_"I...I love Torn."_

_"Lets start at the start, shall we?"_

_"No ones found him at all, we think hes gone missing Keira... Save his red scarf..."_

Keira sobbed harder, her whole body shaking with the effort.  
The nurse decided not to drug her this time, and to let her grief out.

All the good times the two of them had had, and the bad ones... wasted? Gone?

Had the hardened mechanic learnt her final lesson?

Would Ashelin and Jak bring back good news, or a body?

She had to be strong, for him. She knew that he wouldn't appreciate a weakling.

And that night, Keira cried herself to sleep.

_Do you still remember all the time that has gone by?  
Do you still believe that love can fall out from the sky?  
If from where you're standing, you can see the sky above  
I'll be waiting for you, if you still believe in love_

0000000000

Jak closed his eyes, fingers still just touching Torns neck.  
A faint pulse still beat through, and Jak knew he had limited time.

Was he going to take the gamble?

Within a few moments, he had decided, decided to save his friends life.  
With a flash of concentrated light eco, wings sprouted from Jak, and within seconds was the eco angel known as Light Jak.

He quickly did Flash Freeze so the tattooed wonder wouldn't get any sicker, and started healing Torn with light eco as best he could.

But Torn had his dark side, and Jaks only fear was that Torns body, and the dark eco already inside him, wouldn't handle the Light Eco very well.

He only wished that there would be no side effects, and that Torn would be fine.

But nothing worked that way anymore.

Horns started sprouting out of Torns head, and Jak closed his eyes, knowing the light eco was a bad idea.

It had healed Torn, but spawned something much worse.

Ashelin screamed as soon as flash freeze wore off, back-pedalling to get as far away from the dark creature before her as possible.

"W... what IS that?" she shrieked, and realised, with a shock...

"Torn!" she screamed, shaking in fear as the dark eco monster advanced on her.

Dark Jak tackled Dark Torn to the ground, growling ferociously.  
Dark Torn licked his lips and swiped at Dark Jak, the two brawling in a never-ending battle for dominance.

"Stop!" Ashelin screamed, but her cries were lost in the two dark monsters brawl.

Dark Torn took a swipe, Dark Jak blocked, Dark Jak took a swipe, Dark Torn blocked...

Dark Jak knew that now he had met his match, for no other monster had been anywhere near equal to him before, let alone able to beat him.

But as Dark Torn pinned him to the ground, Jak knew he had made a mistake.

Ashelin panicked - what could she do? Torn was about to kill Jak! And all she was doing was watch!

She prayed to Mar for some miracle, and then it hit her.

"Keira!" she screamed.

That name stopped the torture-spawned monster in its tracks.

* * *

>:3 


	17. The assassin revealed

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 17  
By shadows/of/flame

* * *

"Keira!" 

The mechanic in question shot up in bed, looking around for who said her name.  
As the bitter silence ensued, she thought she had just been dreaming.

But she thought it sounded like Ashelin, and Ashelin was with Jak, and the couple were out finding Torn...

After a few moments quick thinking, Keira carefully took the IV out of her arm, and got dressed quickly, stretching to revive her lazy limbs from having been lying in bed for so long.

Another scream echoed through the air, and Keira knew she had to hurry up and get to the Palace ruins.

_'But... my guns ruined!'_ she thought frantically, remembering Jak casting the shards of the Dragon Fang into the fire a few days ago.

As she wrapped Torns cinnamon scented scarf around her neck, she wondered if Jak or Ashelin had left any of their spare guns behind.

There! A sliver of light reflected off Ashelins spare pistol, and Keira grabbed it without hesitation.

She knew she would have to sneak out of the hospital, but her plans for getting out quietly were ruined when a huge foot broke through the roof and landed where she had been standing only moments ago.

"HOLY SHIT!" Keira screamed, panicking.  
She almost lost her head as the foot retracted, ready to stomp her to death, but she ran straight around the hole the foot had made and out the door to the ward.

Never mind getting out quietly - everyone was in a major panic, metal heads everywhere.

"Whats happening? I thought all the Metal Heads were killed!" Keira exclaimed, stopping and asking a nearby nurse what was happening.The nurse was helping an elderly woman to safety, and answered in plenty, despite what was happening.

"We thought they were all dead too. But unfortunately sensors don't pick up everything, so some must have hidden in the Wastelands and bred - well, now they're here again!"

Keira swore under her breath as a rather ugly metal head ran down the corridor towards them.  
She knew she had limited bullets, and shot it right between the eyes, trying to disarm it.

As it reared its head back, she shot it in the stomach, and it fell to the floor in a bloody heap.

"Get yourself out of here! This place is bound to collapse any minute now!" the nurse yelled frantically.  
Keira thought herself incredibly selfish, but nodded slowly, and ran off, leaving the two far behind.

She raced through all the hallways and corridors of the hospital, eventually finding the exit and some more bullets.

Debry fell all around her, and a stone gashed her cheek, blood trickling down her cheek not seeming to affect her.

_Get the bullets, or get the hell out of there safely?_

She took the dangerous option - she grabbed the bullets, and screamed as a huge chunk of concrete fell almost on top of her.

She would have to hurry.

Keira clambered on top of the huge chunk, maneouvering her way up onto the roof.  
From there, she had a better vantage point of falling debris, and was able to safely make her way to the ground.

But as she lost her sense of direction, which way was the Palace?

She panicked, sliding her goggles over her eyes and Torns scarf over her mouth and nose as a wave of eco fumes surrounded her.

Keira ended up staggering which ever way seemed most familiar, and as luck had it a few minutes later stumbled across a familiar path.

Mars Tomb was to her right.

Dead bodies were everywhere, and Keira tried not to gag at the blood everywhere.

Gag? Since when was she afraid of blood?

"Whats happening?" she mumbled, her head reeling.

"Thought you could make me an ottsel and throw me away hmmm? Well thats where you're wrong! Don't worry, daughter of Samos, all the ones you love will slowly die in front of you, and the first to go was your precious Torn. "Ah, how sad, the lovestruck heroes always die first; ah well, it was a pleasure to kill him."

"Veger!" she gasped, recognising the formal voice as the bald-headed mans.

"You finally guessed that it was I that was trying to kill you all those times? Silly girl; I thought you were smarter than that."

Keiras eyes narrowed as she walked slowly towards the Palace ruins, her injuries holding her back.

"Why did you kill Torn! Why do you want us dead!"

The voice chuckled, her fury for this... man driving her on, making her keep listening without killing someone.

"The one thing that mechanics can never grasp is power. Your dear Torn has it; Ashelin has it; Jak has it. Damas had it, so I killed him. I tried to kill Jak, but failed. My assassins failed to kill Ashelin, and by toppling the Palace with you in it, it should have been a foolproof death."

"Well you managed to kill Torn, but I'm still here." Keira growled, and the sight that met her eyes was burned there forever.

Blood. Lots of blood.

And Dark Jak pinning a weary, bloody Torn to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Keira screamed.

Ashelin pulled Dark Jak off Torn, and cradled the former in her arms.

For Keira, time was at a standstill.  
She raced forward, holding Torn in her arms, praying that he was alive.

"Hey... thats my scarf you're wearing."

Keira gazed down at the bemused ex-KG commander, who was weakly smiling at her.

"... Are you OK?" she asked, helping him sit up.  
Torn slowly nodded, his neck stiff from not moving it much.

"Jak healed me; I think I attacked him though. Check if hes OK."

"Is Jak alright?" Keira called to Ashelin, hoping that her ex was ok.

Ashelin looked Jak and nodded, returning to his normal colour immediately.

"Torn..." Jak croaked.

Torn crawled over to Jak, and the two men hugged each other tightly.  
The girls smiled softly.

"I... I'm sorry that I took Ashelin without asking if you two were together or not." Jak croaked.

Torn hugged back, patting Jak on the back.  
"Its fine. We both know we're happier now than we could have ever been before, and thats what matters, right?"

Jak nodded, but as he did, a strange voice echoed through the air.

"Awwww, how cute and adorable. You seem to forgive and forget far too easily Jak."

Jak recognised that voice immediately.

_"You seem upset, did I tell you too late? How delightful."_

"VEGER!"


	18. Sombrero

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 18  
By shadows/of/flame 

Em... you inspired me by talking about Veger wanting Torns ice cream XD. Thanks!

* * *

No one could believe it.  
Veger... Veger was a human again? And he was trying to kill Torn and Keira? 

"What do you want?" Jak snarled, getting to his feet and not letting his eyes leave Vegers.  
Torn also stood up, glaring at Veger who had now appeared, blocking their exit from the ruins of the Palace.

"What do you think I want? Why of course - to finish off the job I came here to do - kill these two twerps."

"Why do you want to kill us? What would you gain from it?" Torn glared, hatred burning in his eyes.

The bald, liver spotted man laughed.

"Gain? Oh please. You two hold something that not many others have... Not the power to channel eco, a practise long forgotten, but... pure souls."

Keira looked at Veger as though he had just waltzed into the room wearing a sombrero and a kimono, sporting a bushy moustache, and singing the Care Bear song.

"What...?" she murmured, disbelieving.

Veger cackled, his laugh ringing in Torns tortured ears.

"That "incident" you and Torn were in 2 years ago... remember? Thats what proved to me that your souls were pure - your ability to heal was amazingly significant."

Keira remembered that incident - just after her and Torn had met for the first time, there had been a horrific KG vs pedestrian shoot out, and Keira had found out then, with people injured and dying all around her, that she had some of her father healing abilities.

"Pure? But... we've killed so many people! Revenge, hate... lust... they aren't good! They taint the soul!" Keira exclaimed.

The older man chuckled.  
"Yes, you are correct. But your souls are still pure, regardless of a few petty actions and wants, and I want there to be none left in this world. If there are none, humanity will thrive on the bad things in life."

Torn was shocked to the roots of his supposedly pure soul.  
Him, pure? When he had been so jealous of others, being harsh to Jak and all the other Underground men, wanting revenge against Jak and Ashelin... lust for Keira, the only one he had ever truly loved and feared to lose?

"Why should you kill the only pure people in the world then!" Torn cried.  
Veger smirked.

"If there is nothing good left in this world to cling to, then all will fall into evil doings. Think about it - a city filled with druggies. Tramps prowling the streets, addicts stealing money for illegal drugs... Its the perfect plan! They will be so utterly dependant on man made things, if a ruler gives them what they want, they will bow to their rulers will!"

Ashelin shook her head. "I am the ruler of Haven City, and Jinx of Spargus. Neither of us are going to supply drugs to our cities!"

Veger cackled. "Jinx? That fellow that has a permanent cloud of smoke above his head?"

He chucked some photos at Torn, and Torn gaped.

They were pictures of Jinx being tortured.

"We tortured Jinx until he complied with us, and it will be easy enough to do the same to dear Ashelin. But first, of course, we must get rid of the pure of heart..."

Some Krimzon Guards rallied up behind Veger, and cocked their guns at the pair.  
Keira closed her eyes, her heart beating wildly. Were they really going to die?

"Aim... fire!"

A set of roars emitted from Torn and Jak, and Keira spun around quickly enough to see Torn bowl her out of the way.

As she fell, she hit her head, and her gaze swam as she tried to focus.  
She griped blindly, and eventually picked up Ashelins fallen gun that she had snuck out of the hospital, and wondered whether or not firing would be a good idea.

She could very well easily hit one of her allies- Ashelin, or one of the two dark creatures that were attacking Veger and the Guard.

Ashelin was mowing down the the KG that were approaching with the Vulcan Barrel, but as more and more came she didn't doubt that somehow Veger had either bred them, or got some outside forces to help him.

_'Is this ever going to end? Are me and Jak ever going to live happily, or are we forced to live in a warzone, forever fighting? And of course, Torn and Keira, but... Why can't this stop?'_

As she wasn't paying enough attention,a bullet grazed her leg, and she winced inwardly at the blood trickling down her leg.  
Out of the corner of her eye, the red-head noticed Keira had something in her hands, but what was it?

Ashelin didn't know nor care at that very moment- she had bigger fish to fry.

TwoKrimzon Guards, while she had been thinking, had snuck up behind her and were trying to strangle her to death.

She tried hard to breathe, as everyone does by default when they are getting strangled, but she knew it was futile to try. She had to think of some other way.

"Haha, we've got her." one of the KG cackled, but Ashelin wriggled free as soon as the KG started cackling.

"Thats why bragging gets you no where." she snarled as she kneed the guard in the stomach and shot him.

The blue haired girls vision had not become much better, and she aimed at a red thing, hoping it was a Krimzon Guard.  
She pulled the trigger, and a hiss erupted from the thing, or person she had shot.

"Hes down! Hes down! The girl shot him! Get him quickly!"

Keiras heart froze, thinking she had shot Jak, or even Torn.  
She couldn't see a thing anymore, and if someone shot her she would be none the wiser to it.

Ashelin kept shooting at the retreating guard, and ran over to Keira.

"Keira, you did it."

"W... what did I do?" she yelped.

Ashelin helped her up, and the two started walking towards the hospital.

"You shot Veger. Jak and Torn are on their way to try and finish him off."

"I... I shot him?"

Keiras head swam, and she stumbled a few times, Ashelin supporting her every step of the way.

"Yes, you did quite a good job. I'm taking you to Freedom HQ, then you can get some rest and wait for news of the other two."

Keira had no choice, and as soon as they reached Freedom HQ she curled up in Torns chair and fell asleep.

0o0o0o0o0

No words were used, but Torn could pretty much make out the gist of what Jak wanted.

Revenge.

It was simple enough, as Jak had told Torn many times before, even under the influence of alcohol, he could tell the story clearly of how Veger had set a bazooka on their car and killed his father, the best warrior he had ever known.

Torn also wanted revenge on the bald man, but for different reasons.  
Not that Veger had personally hurt him, but he thought Veger had something to do with the shield wall being withdrawn.

All those years ago, as the shield wall was withdrawn from where was now known as Dead Town, Torn had watched his parents ripped apart by Metal Heads.

The dread-locked ex-commander also couldn't get over the fact that Veger wanted to kill them for having pure souls.

He wouldn't let Veger get away with it.

People saw the dark creatures and ran away screaming, not wanting to see the ugly things.  
Not the horns, nor the crackles of dark eco, but the looks on their faces was cold and chilling enough to freeze over Volcanic Crater.

Luckily for Torn, no one could recognise him, the dark eco pretty much hiding his tattooes, so he was safe.

But everyone knew who Jak was, and wondered who he was saving them from this time, and who the other dark figure was at his side.

The two eco freaks were set on getting to Vegers base, but they could only find it if they followed the KG Hellcat in front of them, so neither let their eyes off it.

An unfortunate carpet merchant stepped towards them to offer his wares, and as he started to speak, Jak ripped him to shreds.  
Nice.

Neither knew what the outcome of this little excursion would be, and whether or not they would come back alive, but the dark eco injected fiends knew it could only be good for one side.

* * *


	19. Violent reaction

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 19  
By shadows/of/flame

Sorry about the late update - holidays though it may be, I just needed motivation XD

* * *

_'Stay calm, they'll be back soon, Veger will be dead... All will be fine! It'll all be over as soon as they get back.'  
_Ashelin tried to tell this to herself to reassure her frizzled nerves, but so far she was failing miserably. 

Keira wasn't faring much better - she was fearing for Jak AND Torns lives - she had seen what Veger could do to people.  
Two years alone in Haven City hadn't taught her nothing, and what else was she expected to do apart from go to execution after execution after execution at the Barons orders?

She wouldn't leave Torns seat, protecting it fiercely as Ashelin tried to coax her to go out for lunch; although going out to lunch in the middle of a war was not the best idea she had ever had.

But the poor red-head was just greeted with a cold stare, and she knew that she could do no more to help her friend.

Hope arrived along with their orange rodent friend and Tess, who came in later on, bundling food in their paws.  
For ottsels their size, they could sure as hell carry a lot of food, and Ashelin was delighted to see them.

"Tess, could you try and get Keira to eat something? Shes worried sick about Torn and Jak, and shes not eating much, or leaving that chair." Ashelin hissed, trying not to draw Keiras attention to what she was trying to do.

"We heard about Veger, but wheres Jak and Tattooed Wonder?" Daxter asked, hopping up onto the nearby table and dumping the food uncerimoniously on it.

Ashelin sighed, wishing she didn't have to be the one to tell them the bad news.

"As you may or may not know, Keiras blind sided shot clipped Veger in the stomach. The Krimzon Guard have retreated, along with Jak and Torn, in dark mode, in hot pursuit of them to try and finish off Veger. If they're lucky, they can kill him before he has the chance to get back to try and finish Torn and Keira off."

A puzzled expression crossed Daxters face.  
"... why is Veger after Tattooed Wonder and Keira?"

Tess was straightening up the food that Daxter had made a mess of on the table, and cocked her head as though she was listening.

As Ashelin opened her mouth to speak, a voice came from the blanketed figure that was sitting on Torns chair.

"Veger wants me and Torn dead, because... because we have "pure souls". We are the only two left, because Veger has managed to kill off all of the others. If all of the "pure souls" are dead, then chaos will reign - drugs, murder, sex, addictions... you know, everything... bad. And that stupid bald man wants that, because stupid, drugged people, are... easier to control. Easier to rule over. He wants Jinx and Ashelin to supply these drugs themselves FREE to the citys people, so the spiral can begin straight away..."

The two ottsels, and Ashelin, looked at the young mechanic, who was clutching Torns scarf to her chest, in utter surprise.

Those were the first words, well, sentences, that Ashelin had heard out of her all day.

"K... Keira?" Tess murmured, as the green haired girl burst into a flurry of tears, rocking gently to and fro.

Ashelin, Tess and Daxter immediately went to holdand comfort their friend, who had barely spoken a word all day.

After all, wars had many different effects on many different people.

"I jus... I just want them back! We've been through enough strife, why can't we just be safe and happy for once?"  
Daxter and Tess sat on Keiras lap, while Ashelin hugged all of them, whispering words of comfort into the younger girls ears.

"W... when I joined the Underground, I... I never thought we'd be together. I thought I'd just live out my... my life, proving to... to Jak that I wasn't a weakling anymore. But, now me and Torn... and Jak and him, they've gone off to kick Vegers sorry ass, and I never... thought the outcome would be this!"

"None of us thought this would happen Keira. If there had been a way to know, we would have prevented it. But somehow, Veger has been changed back from an ottsel, and hes trying to kill you and Torn and spiral the world into drugs, sex and alcohol. We'll just have to continue fighting for the future we all want, so in the end we can reap the rewards."

The blue haired mechanic knew that the red-headed baroness was right, and slowly, her snuffles died away, and the tears on her cheeks dried leaving trails through the mud and grime caking her face.

She sat up suddenly, and looked at her three friends.  
"Well, what are we all doing just sitting here moping then? We have two men to help to save our city!"

Daxter grinned, as Tess found their weapons and handed him an ottsel-sized gun.  
The old Keira they all knew, was finally back.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jak and Torn ran in tandem, ignoring the atmosphere and people gaping around them.  
The KG Hellcat was slowing down, Jak noticed, and he slowed down slightly so that the two dark creatures wouldn't smack straight into it.

As the younger dark creature duly noted, for the zoomer to be slowing down at such a pace knew they would stop soon, and the older nodded slowly, also slowing with his partner.

Like the younger one noticed, the zoomer DID make a stop, and Veger was immediately rushed out of the Hellcat.

Torn acted fast, he dashed quickly but silently forward, and slid into the small gap that the closing door had left.  
He jammed it with a nearby rock, allowing Jak passage into the room as well, and removed it quickly as soon as the other eco freak was through.

His blood ran cold as soon as he saw the corridors.  
They were familiar in some way...

They were in the sewers. By the torture chambers where Torn had been...

Injected.  
Tortured endlessly with dark eco to prevent himself from being killed by the ravishing amounts of it thriving inside him.

Jak could sense that Torn was upset, at what he didn't know.  
But he then remembered the sobbing, crumpled, filthy wreck of an elf that he had taken from... the torture chambers! Of course, they were down in the sewers.

Jak lay a reassuring claw on his fellow dark mates shoulder, and after a moment of silence, and pain for the former, Torn allowed them to move on.

In their moments of silence, they had nearly lost Veger, and by some stealthy running only just managed to catch up as he was rushed through the endless winding passage ways.

_'Theres a hospital or some sort of person in the sewers that can take care of Veger?'_  
Was the only concious thought running through Jaks mind as the chase wore on.

After minutes of running, Jak and Torn reached the last door that Veger had been brought through, and they panted heavily, having run from the Palace Ruins right the way through the sewers non stop, within about 30 minutes.

The blond laid a hand gently on the door, and with the brunettes help, pushed it open just a bit to see what was happening.

Torn, the smaller of the two, laid stomach down on the floor, and listened closely to the voices rumbling inside.

"Do you think we got enough Green Eco from that old fool to heal the army and Veger?"  
Someone in the room spat to another.

Torns eyes burned slightly as a bright light filled the room, and when his vision cleared, what he saw amazed him.

There were lines and lines of jars filled with green eco, in pretty little neat rows, and two bent-backed elves, tinted with all different shades of purple, red, blue, yellow and green were hunched over beside them, talking.

"I don't know. But that poor old fool won't be... harbouring any eco anytime soon."

The two were obviously scientists, he noticed, due to the tinges of every type of eco staining their skin, and kept watching.

"We'd better go and give this to Veger before he either dies or kills us! I don't wanna be on the Crocadogs breakfast menu tomorrow morning! What do you think Crocadog food is made of?"

Torn pulled a face as the scientists pulled several jars of eco off the table, and slaundered into the hallway, tipping slightly to the side from the added weight as they did so.

"Now the coasts clear - lets go." Torn growled softly to Jak, and he pushed open the door.

As they entered, the green eco made Jak and Torns dark eco stores violently react, and all the jars shattered.  
Apart from the fact that Samos' eco went to waste, and that the Krimzon Guards would never be healed without it, Jak swore loudly as screams and footsteps echoed around them.

They had done a lot of good that night, but the domino effect of said good would not have friendly affects.


	20. And he didn't hear her scream

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 20  
By shadows/of/flame

* * *

There was eco in the walls. Torn could sense it, pulsing and thriving endlessly.  
What sort it was he wasn't entirely sure of, but if it was green eco they were doomed. Regardless of where it was, high motion sensors could usually pick up any type of eco.

Footsteps echoed through the hallways, drawing nearer and nearer as the two comrades did, and Torn knew that the approaching soldiers would be coming for the two dark creatures.

Yes, destroying the green eco was a good idea at first, but if they didn't fight their way through the oncoming onslaught of guards, and stop them from administering the eco to Veger, then they could easily fail. Lose. Have Veger destroy them, and then the world in endless spirals of drugs, alcohol, and sleaze.

Jak obviously sensed his comrades distress, and placed a claw on his shoulder as the older paused.

Torn had never been one to mindlessly kill, but he knew that there would at least be one upcoming blood bath, and almost gagged at the thought.

Killing people was not very high on his to-do list.

His thoughts strayed to Keira, and how much he missed her.  
The war had taken so much away from them, and all he wanted to do was finish the war, kill Veger, get Ashelin and Jak married and, obviously, a new ruler for Spargus, and live happily ever after.

But it was rare that happily ever afters came without hard work.

Jak reached the next door, growling furiously as he found it to be locked.  
He raised his palm, shooting a thick beam of dark eco at the door; the metal didn't even stand a chance.

The metal of the doors shrieked and warped as the eco destroyed the lock, creating a loud screeching noise that temporarily deafened the dark creatures.

The metal flew back, a huge chunk of it hitting Jak square in the chest, and he fell to the ground, pinned down by the metal.  
Torn roared with agony, feeling the sharp pain of their eco connection falter as Jak was hit. He immediately thought not of his safety, and ran to the horned beasts side.

Jak was changing back - a very very bad sign - and his skin was pale and muddied.  
"Torn..." he choked, trying hard to breathe as the eco demon pulled the metal off him with ease.

A huge wound in Jaks chest made Torn freeze. Jak couldn't die!  
"... Go. Go and... finish off Veger. I'll stay here, and pick off any guards that I can..."

The dark eco freak judged the size of the wound on Jaks chest. More like a cut, or a laceration than anything.  
Without hesitation, he started licking the wound, leaving Jak looking at him in amazement.

'... of course! Dark eco healing. Only works if the wounded has dark eco inside them...'

Jak closed his eyes as the dark creature resumed his cleansing work on the wound, and then he wrapped a bandage around it ro stop any further bleeding.

A guard ran down the hall, and saw the dark creature and the renegade.

"Alert! Alert! Dark eco freak and renegade down this hall!"

Torn immediately lunged at the guard, smacking him over the head with a chunk of metal that was nearby, and when making sure he was dead, stole his gun and threw it to Jak.

"Please, Torn, for everyones sakes, take care." Jak murmured as the dark creature lunged off, the sounds of guards closing in only becoming louder, and louder, and louder.

0o0o0o0o0

"Ewwww, gross!" The two ottsels exclaimed together as they saw the murky, dark sewer through the hatch that the mechanic had just heaved open.

"Come on you two! We have to save our friends." Keira giggled, an ottsel clambering onto each shoulder as she prepared her journey down into the depths.

"Augh, I remember when me and Jak came down here to take care of the sensor guns... he was swimming in something awful in the water, ew I think it was wast--"

Tess smacked Daxter around the head before he had the chance to finish his sentence, giggling as he rubbed his head.

"Hey hey! No-a hurting the merchandise!"

Ashelin rolled her eyes, as Tess and Daxter made kissy kissy faces at each other.  
"Lets get going before I puke..." she muttered, scaling down the ladder easily, and landing feet first in something foul-smelling.

"Oh great stench of the Precursors!" she groaned, wrinkling her nose in utter disgust as she realised exactly what she had just stood in.

"Haha! You did exactly what Jak did!" Daxter cackled as Keira joined the red-headed seductress at the bottom of the ladder.

"Now, Daxter, we need to know where we are, and where we have to go." Keira said, shaking her head at the ottsels flirting skills with his ottsel lady, AND Ashelin, even though she was engaged to a certain blond haired hero.

Who would be dead soon if they didn't hurry up.

"We're in the fourth sector. Theres an old labratory up here somewhere, if you guys can find it. It stores eco, which MAY help us."

Ashelin let the shaking mechanic take the lead, as she wondered what they were up against and what they would find. Jak and Torn, dead? Lying in a pool of their own eco tainted blood?  
Veger, lying dead with dead guards lying faithfully around him like a protection halo?

None of them knew, man or ottsel, what they would find in the lab.

After a few minutes walking, the girls pushed down the door, only to find the room filled with green eco.

Keira smiled softly, and harnessed the power of the eco, just in case she'd need it later.

Daxter and Tess were still slightly amiss with the details of Keiras eco harnessing, so whenever she used her powers, they flinched.

She'd usually joke about it, threatening them with green eco, but this time the pulsing green goo was too important to waste.

"Whats that!" Ashelin exclaimed, as she heard footsteps. Lots of footsteps.

0o0o0

Torn knew the guard were approaching, and slid into a small nook where they couldn't find him, and waited.

He watched them coming out of a very suspicious looking room, and as soon as they were all running down the corridor, towards where the still-injured Jak was, Torn slid in the door, leaving a dark eco stain on the wall so anyone could find him.

What he found in there shocked him to his very core.

0o0o0

"JAK!"

Ashelin ran towards her fallen comrade and fiance, holding him tightly against her chest wearily.

"Ashelin... the guards are coming. Tell Keira to hurry up and go ahead - Torns gone ahead. He needs help, or we're stuffed. Please..."

Ashelin dug in her pouch for the small vial of dark eco that she had, and made Jak drink it, facing Keira.

"Keira, the guards are on their way as I speak. You have to go up ahead - take Tess with you. Torn needs help - he cannot fight Veger alone. I'll stay here with Jak and Daxter to fight the guards, but already I've spoken too long. Go into the hallway, and hide in the first nook that you see. Wait for the guard to pass, and then go down the hall, find Torn, and try to stop Veger. You're our only hope now."

Daxter slid off Keiras shoulder, running over to Jak, and Ashelin gave Jak back the Peacemaker.

"Go!"

The frightened girl nodded, running as fast as she could towards the warped double doors, Tess clinging painfully into her shoulder in an attempt to stay on her shoulder.

The guards were getting closer and closer, and Keira knew she didn't have much more time to find a hiding place, breaking into a quicker running pace as the thought occured to her.

Tess poked her sharply, and pointed to an air vent, just big enough for Keira to fit into.

Hey presto!

She quickly ripped off the vent covering, crawling into the hole and waiting for Tess to get in.

Once Tess was in securely, Keira attached the covering back on, and started mindlessly crawling through the vents, wondering where they lead to.

A heating system? An illegal smuggling route?  
The answers could be anything, but Keira was dying to know, not guess, the answer.

"Look! Theres another vent over there! We must be able to get out that way." the ottsel hissed after a few minutes of mindless despairing on both the elf and the ottsels part.

The mechanic risked a look, and crawled on her stomach over to the hole, peering through.

She saw Veger, cackling with laughter as he held a bloodstained dagger in the air, and...

Dark Torn, facing him, claws raised, but with blood dripping from a laceration on his left arm.

Both of their eyes widened in shock, as claw to dagger fought, clangs and the warp of metal filling the air.

Veger had got the eco freak once, but unfortunately for him, the dark eco Torn contained was easily warping the daggers metal, making it next to useless, and more and more useless with every swipe Veger took at him.

While the green haired mechanic had been watching the brawl, her small ottsel companion had opened the hatch, and was urging Keira through.  
"Come on! We have to go and help!" she hissed, and Keira got the message, crawling through after her.

As a last ditch atempt, Veger stabbed the dark creature with his dagger.

He got Torn straight in the chest.

A howl of pain emitted from the dark creature, and he didn't even hear Keira scream.


	21. What about Daxter?

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 21  
By shadows/of/flame 

Nirvana Renegade Seiga - How Jak got the bandages? I never really thought of that. Ashelin probably got them from the lab where the green eco was.

* * *

She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.

Torn hissed in pain as the knife penetrated his skin, as a grin spread across Vegers face and he laughed.

That would most definitely leave a mark in the morning.

He could faintly hear someone scream, and Veger cackling with utter delight.

The bald headed man laughed and laughed, throwing the utterly warped knife to the ground as he stepped back, waiting for Torn to weaken, and falter.

"Any last words, eco freak?" Veger hissed.

The demon looked at Veger, then the knife, and finally to the wound, ignoring the purple-tinted blood that was dribbling out of it.

He smiled weakly.

And then started licking it clean.

Vegers eyes widened in shock and disgust as Torn began his "self-cleaning-healing" lick, but Keira couldn't be more pleased.

"That... is disgusting!" Veger howled, retrieving the warped blade just as the eco tortured being regained his feet and grinned evilly.

"You don't seriously think I could die that easily, did you?" he grinned again, his long fangs glistening unwelcomingly and sending shivers down Vegers spine.

"Argh! You should be dead!" Veger hissed, stepping back again.  
Torn smirked, and licked the laceration on his arm clean as well.

Veger wondered what he had left to kill Torn with, and grinned.

Green eco.

If any of that got into Torns system.  
The dark would combat the green, causing it to mutate.  
He would die.

"See what this is?" Veger cackled as he held up, coincidentally, the only canister of green eco left.

The dark demon paled - was Veger smarter than he looked?  
Even that small canister would be enough to kill him.

"Green eco!" Keira gasped, drawing Veger and Torns attention to the fact that she was there.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the demons little princess. And how are you today? Come to rescue your prince CHARMING?" Veger sneered, his lips curling.

Keira stumbled to her feet, glaring at Veger. Tess bared her teeth in a sneer of her own, but Veger just shook his head with a smirk.

"Whatever you do now, you cannot even dream of saving him. For if I have the powers of green eco, and if I... accidentally touch Torn with some... he'll die."

Keira wished for a miracle. A brainwave. Something. Anything that could help Torn.

But nothing came to her.

As Torn lashed out at him, Veger couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do to get rid of the fiesty mechanic and her more than loyal pet rat.

Torn wouldn't let anything happen to Keira, and she was sure as hell not going to let anything happen to him in return.

Vegers gaze lingered on Keira for a moment, and that was enough for the demon to leap forwards and pin Veger to the ground triumphantly.

Vegers eyes widened as the demon grinned wryly, but wearily.

"This has gone on long enough Veger." he coughed, pinning Vegers arms to his sides, and Veger wondered if he was going to die.

"You've taken too much away from me for me to count - friends, possessions, and worst of all, it was partly your fault that my parents are dead. Don't think I feel any mercy for you."

"I wouldn't beg for mercy from a demented freak like you!" Veger hissed, and the words rang in Torns ears.

Demented freak. The very thing his father had called him all those years ago.

Memories Torn had wanted to keep hidden for a long time resurfaced, and he could barely keep himself from shedding a tear.

A tear that wouldn't be shed; not now.

"Shut up, you asshole." Torn growled.

He imagined that Veger was his father - they had the same sneer, the same haunting eyes, though not the same in colour.

And they shared the same hate for Torn.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Torn growled, licking his lips and making Veger gulp in fear.

He raised his head as best he could, and said stubbornly "I don't have any excuses."

Which left Torn no excuses why not to slit his throat.

So he did just that, ripping Vegers throat apart with no hesitation whatsoever.

Keira shakily crawled to Torn, making sure he was alright.  
The horns slowly receded, the claws vanishing to be replaced by smooth fingers.

Torn flopped forward into Keiras arms, exhaustion running him down.  
He was stronger when he transformed into the demon inside him, but his thin body couldn't take much of the pressure because of the weight difference.

"Its OK now Torn, everythings alright." Keira whispered, stroking his hair, and wondering how the hell they were going to get out of there if all the guards weren't dead.

She'd have to take a risk.

0o0o0

Jak groaned as yet another wave of guards ran down the hallway towards them, guns raised and bullets ready.

"Aww damn! I seriously hope there aren't many more of these!" Ashelin swore as she fought off several guards at once.

Daxter was lying in a crumpled heap by her feet, unconcious after a grenade had landed too close to him.  
Jak just hoped he was OK, but right now the renegade was focusing on making sure that the guards didn't kill them all.

The ottsels tail, Ashelin noticed, was lying at a rather odd angle, and the amount of blood around him made Ashelin pray to the Precursors, or whoever was listening, that he would be alright.

More and more guards streamed through the door way, and Jak wondered if this nightmare would ever end.  
The wound in his chest was killing him, the pain was almost unbearable.  
Torns dark eco licking had helped him stem the flow of blood, but it hadn't sealed the wound, and if the fighting was this rough through and through, it would undoubtedly start to bleed again.

Dark Jak was not at his command at present either, having run out of dark eco, so the renegade would have to rely on brute strength and luck to overcome them.

Ashelin shot a guard with incredible accuracy, making it fall to the floor in a slump.  
As Jak and her finished off the last of them, Jak looked around, wondering when the next lot were coming.

They weren't.

"T... Is that all of them?" Ashelin asked, lowering her gun and looking around herself.

As soon as the blond was certain that there wouldn't be any interruptions for a while, he ran over and cradled Daxter in his arms, wincing as warm, wet blood stained his tunic.

"Dax..." he whispered hollowly, hoping that Daxter wasn't too badly hurt.  
Ashelins face creased up as a look of sorrow crossed her face, and she placed a hand on Jaks shoulder, pulling him.

"Come on. Daxter will be fine - I'm sorry about what happened to him, but... It can't be helped. We need to find out if Vegers dead or not."

Jak squeezed Ashelins hand, agreeing with the red head.  
"... we need to find out if Keira, Tess and Torn are OK."

Ashelin gently untied the scarf from around Jaks neck, swaddling Daxter gently in the rough cloth, and settling him back down in Jaks arms.

If they didn't hurry up, find Torn, Keira and Tess and get the hell out of there, Daxter could easily die.

And neither of them, especially Jak, wanted that to happen.


	22. Old men break easily

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 22  
By shadows/of/flame 

A bit of Ashelin OOCness. Just a warning ;)

* * *

Daxter made no signs of movement as the renegade and the red-head ran down the hallway, feet echoing dully through the interior. Ashelin kept her gun out and loaded just in case anymore guards came, and Jak held Daxter securely in his arms, not daring to let go. 

Ashelin saw dark eco everywhere - but strangely enough, no dead guards in sight.  
A dark smear above one of the doors caught the pairs attention, and they walked carefully over to it, examining it with utter care and precision.

"Dark eco..." Jak murmured, touching the dark substance and feeling the familiar tingle as it swept into his skin, from there into his blood.  
"Then Torn must be near!" Ashelin said desperately, and Jak couldn't agree more, though his agreement to her words was a silent one.

"Come on, what do we have to lose by going in there?" Jak asked, looking for some sort of way to open the door.  
His hand was on the handle, and he was about to rip it open when the door swung towards him, almost knocking him off his feet.

"Whoa!"  
Ashelin caught him by the shoulders before him and Daxter fell to the floor, keeping the renegade steady as he found his feet.

Keira almost died when she pushed open the door.  
Someone was holding the handle!

Torn stumbled into her, and she flung out a hand to stop him from falling through the door.  
"Come on Torn, at least make it out the door..." she grumbled, and he shot a half-hearted glare her way, coughing.

Gingerly, the mechanic peered around the doorframe, wondering who had had their hand on the door.  
If it was anyone bad, they were weaponless, Keiras gun having been ruined in the attack.

So she was definitely surprised AND scared out of her mind when she saw Jak, Ashelin and Daxter bundled in Jaks scarf.

"Oh my go... Holy Mar! Jak! Ashelin! Daxter!" she screamed, and Ashelin looked up from examining Daxter.  
"Keira! Torn! Tess! You're all alright!" She yelled, enveloping Keira and Torn in a hug.  
Torns knees went weak, and he soon joined Jak on the floor, coughing.

"No time for lengthy reunions, I'm afraid." Ashelin said solemly, pointing to Daxter. "We have to get him to the vet before its too late. Or the Shadow." she added as an afterthought.

"Jak has also sustained injuries, and by the looks of things Torns not much better. We'll get out of here, and then we can talk."

Keira looked fearfully at all of them, and Torns breathing became more and more shallow.  
"Torn, please, stay with us!" she begged, helping him up as Ashelin did the same with Jak.

Torns eyes were drained of emotion, and he didn't speak as Keiras arms slipped around him for support, wincing only as her hand gingerly swept over his chest wound.

_'Please... hang on... for me...'_  
Keira didn't know if she was thinking or saying these words, but they were the only ones going though her mind as the group started to make their way out of the sewers.

Tess was also now snuggled in Jaks arms, making sure Daxter was alright so that Jak could focus on putting one foot in front of the other instead of glancing to Daxters pain-wraught face every few minutes.  
Though her minimal comfort didn't help Jak, as his face was twisted in a mixture of fright, worry and pain.

Ashelin helped Jak walk, and with Keira helping Torn the group soon made it safely to where the first sentry gun was.

The first sentry gun.  
Oh dammit.

Tess screamed as bullets flew towards the group, Ashelin yanking her fiance out of the way just as a bullet pounded the air where he had been a few minutes ago.

"Holy Mar!" Ashelin swore, looking around, and wondering how they were going to get past it.  
Tess looked around, and when Ashelin wasn't looking stole Jaks little pistol from the pocket of his pants.

"Good thing these things are ottsel sized..." she muttered dryly as she slid down Jaks arm, shooting a loving gaze at Daxter before sneaking off towards the gun.

"MOVE BACK!" Tess yelled as she pulled the trigger of the gun, narrowly missing the last round of bullets the thing fired at her, and smashing into a wall as the debry went everywhere.

"Tess!" Ashelin and Keira yelled worriedly, and the small female ottsel dug out of the rubble dazedly.  
"Oh Tess, that was stupid!" Keira scolded, though admiration was clear in her face as Daxters girl curled up in Jaks arms and fell unconcious.  
Ashelin became even more worried if possible at that point, and she urged for Keira to keep going.

"We're nearly out of here, lets not falter now!" Ashelin begged, clinging to her last hope as tightly as she could, not wanting to die so short of her wedding day.

Keira nodded, and as Ashelin pulled open the next door with all her might, she was astounded to see...

Light.  
Bright, pure, light.  
Sunlight.  
Air.  
Oxygen.

Freedom.

Several Freedom Guards looked at them strangely as they collapsed to their knees, Keira almost going as far as to kiss the ground in relief.

"Commander! Baroness! Call in the Shadow, we have 6 injured here! NOW!" one of them roared into their communicators, and Torn could barely remember being picked up, let alone still being alive.

As a Freedom Guard picked him up and carried him away on a stretcher, his hand automatically reached out for one that wasn't there.

Keiras hand.

"Don't worry sir, everything will be alright." the Freedom Guard said, and after that, all Torn felt was the jab of a needle, a feeling of happiness, love, and then the impending darkness.

0o0o0

Waking up was the strangest part for Torn.  
He expected to wake up, and find himself connected to thousands of tubes and wires, in a hospital being fed by a drip.

But the first thing he noticed when he woke up was that he was free of wires and food, and when his heavy-lidded eyes opened for the first time in a week, he awoke to a surprised squeak, and a bright smile.

He had hoped she would be there.

"Torn..." she murmured, taking his hands in hers and squeezing tightly.  
"Keira..." he replied solemly, beckoning for the girl to come closer.

Worry lines creased her forehead, and she moved closer towards him, him feeling her slight weight as the dent in the bed sagged slightly more on his end.

She shook her head slowly, taking his face in his hands and smiling.  
"Just shut up. Shut up and kiss me."

He complied, bringing her closer to him and sitting up as their lips crushed together, the passion and lust of not being able to kiss for so long almost getting to them.  
"I can't even begin to say how much I've missed you..." Keira breathed, her breath tingling his cheeks as they pulled apart, foreheads almost woven together.

Torn chuckled, drawing the young mechanic onto his lap, and almost letting a small, uncharacteristic smile cross his face.  
"I return the feeling, if that helps at all." and Keira started giggling.  
"That helps... a little." she teased playfully, a smile eating up her whole face as Torn held her close.

"I don't even think you can begin to imagine--"

Torns little speech was interrupted by the door opening, and Ashelin coming in, wearing the biggest grin he had ever seen since he met her.

"Keira! Jak, Daxter and Tess will be OK! They're recovering as we speak!"  
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Torn.

"Torn! Y-you're OK?" she squealed, almost giggling with joy.  
"You're uncharacteristically happy." he grunted as he reluctantly let Keira slide off his lap.

"Well, all of our friends will be OK! And so will you. Also, me and Jak have a day set for the wedding! Isn't that awesome?" she smiled, twirling around as though her wedding dress was already on her, and she was lost in the fantasy of getting married to the one she loved already.

Keira would have danced gleefully with her friend too, but she kept her happiness under control, grinning instead.  
"OK, everyone that is happy get out of my room." Torn grunted, and the two girls shot evil glares at him.  
"Fine! We'll be happy elsewhere! Come on Keira." Ashelin said, poking her tongue out at Torn as she left, Keira in tow.

The two girls walked around the hallways happily, until the red-head almost knocked Samos over.

"Watch where you're going! Old men break easily." he muttered, and Keira giggled.  
"Sorry daddy. But Torns woken up, and our friends are going to be fine, so we're happy."

At the mention of Torn, his face darkened.

"Keira, my girl, go and get Torn. We need to have a discussion."  
"OK daddy."

She went off to get him, and after a few minutes delay, her and Torn made it to the Shadows office, hands interwined.

"Yes daddy?" Keira asked innocently, grinning as Torns arms snaked around her waist.

"I have something to discuss with you and Torn."

Torns non existant eyebrows raised, almost disappearing into his brow.  
"Oh please." Keira pleaded, her face flaming. "Not a sex talk or anything!"

Torns face flamed red too, and the old man almost broke all his bones laughing.

"That comes after your honeymoon." he winked, making the two flame an even darker red.

"No, I was just going to say... Your mission together is not yet over. Together you have faced many a trial, but this will be your biggest yet. All I will say at the moment is that the answer lies in Haven Forest, but for now, I will let you prepare for this journey and think about whats to come."

Torn and Keira looked at each other, fear evident in their eyes.  
Another mission?  
What could possibly be in store for them now?

"Its after Jak and Ashelins wedding. Straight afterwards, you are to change and take your gear straight to Haven Forest. You'll see when you get there."

"Can I pack a bikini?" Keira giggled, not taking it seriously at all.

Samos' eyes twinkled behind his scratched old glasses as he stood, smiling.

"I strongly recommend it, my dear." he said, leaving the couple alone to ponder their mission.

Another mission?  
Oh boy.

* * *

Only two more chapters to go everyone. Sequel or not:) 


	23. Bride to be

Karigoya Yabureme  
Chapter 23  
By shadows/of/flame

* * *

"You do know that thinking too much will kill you."  
Torns barely open eyes peered through the darkness to where Keira was lying on their bed, almost ready to sleep herself. 

"I was just thinking... about what the Shadow said. Our 'mission'."

Keiras eyes wandered to the half packed bags in the corner that belonged to her and Torn, and the room was pretty much a pigsty from all their packing, but neither of them stressed much on tidiness anyway.

The wedding was also drawing closer, which was another big thing to think about.

"The weddings tomorrow, Torn! Come on, you need your rest, or else you'll be knackered."

He closed his eyes and blocked out all sound. He blocked out the sound of the early morning druggies zooming around on their hovers, the early morning marketeers yelling out their wares, and in the process almost fell asleep right where he was.

"I swear..." Keira muttered, dragging him to their bed and pulling the covers over him, "You'll be damned tired tomorrow."  
He yawned loudly, causing Keira to giggle slightly insanely as she curled up beside him.  
"At least get a bit of sleep. If Jak catches you yawning even once, he'll never let you forget it."  
"Ashelin won't let me live it down either..." he started to murmur, but before he could completely finish the sentence, he was fast asleep.

"Bout time..." Keira muttered tiredly before also falling asleep, every minute, every second counting down to the big royal wedding.

0o0o0

"No, seriously, why do I have to wear this... royal thing again?" Jak muttered angrily as Daxter and Torn helped him into the clothes he was supposed to wear for the wedding-coronation.

"Because, not only are you marrying the Governess of Haven City, but you are going to become the Governer of Haven City." Torn answered, weaving Jaks hair into plaits at the sides and smirking.

Haha, plaits. He was so lucky he wasn't the one marrying Ashelin, or else he'd have to have the plaits, and look as strange as Jak did right then.

"You look... strange." he eventually admitted when Jak asked how he looked.  
"Oh great! Like thats a reassurance." Jak muttered, tugging at the plaits, but to his dismay Torn had plaitted them all too well.

"Rope plaitting." Torn grunted as the first words left Jaks lips as he asked how Torn could plait so well. "If you had asked if it was plaitting my sisters hair you will find you no longer have a head."

Daxter chuckled, and found it hard not to leap straight onto Jaks shoulder.  
Today, just today, was the day that he was forbidden to go anywhere near his buddys shoulder.

"Torn, is your shoulder free?" Daxter whined, and Jak burst out laughing at Torns half-bemused, half-I-am-so-going-to-kill-you expression.  
"Yeah, sure, why not." he grumbled, and Daxter cheered and danced around, making a huge big deal out of it until Torn backhanded him.

"Heeey, can I come in?" it was Tess, and Daxter bounded to the door, opening it and engulfing Tess in his arms.  
"Sure babe! We're just dressing Jakku here up for his wedding. You can help him if he needs it, in fact. Tattooed Wonder and I have had enough of helping him."

"And WHAT exactly does THAT mean?" Jak growled, and Daxter laughed. "Relax big guy, I was just chillin'! Ya know, jokin', whatever you humans call it."

Torn grumbled something about a new pair of ottsel fur slippers this winter, when a door slammed down the corridor.

Had something gone wrong?

0o0o0

Keira grumbled as yet another bobby pin slipped out of her slim fingers and ended up on the floor. Luckily for her, there were plenty more where they came from, and she didn't have to pick them up in a hurry.  
Keira was attempting to make Ashelins hair all nice and Governess-like, but was failing as the hair pins went everywhere. Ashelin couldn't help but let a smile claim her lips as she watched her friends futile attempts to stop them falling.

Eventually, the hairdo was nicely done, and Keira slipped the tiara holding the veil on it onto Ashelins head, applying last minute make up to her friends face, and then lifting the veil so it covered her pale face.

"You and Jak huh? I would have never thought you would walk down the aisle with him." Keira smiled, turning Ashelin around without tripping over her floor length dress so the bride-to-be could see herself in the mirror.

Ashelins pale pink dress was finished nicely by the diamond encrusted tiara, and a simple, pearl necklace that hung around her neck.  
"I... wow, this looks great! Thanks again Keira!" she smiled, hugging Keira tightly.  
"You're welcome. Now, I'm gonna go check on your 'future' husband, so I'll be right back, ok?"

At even the mere mention of the man who was to be her husband in a few hours, Ashelins already frayed nerves frayed just a little bit more.

"Sure. Make sure hes OK for me."

Keira slammed the door fiercely behind her, jumping in surprise as it shut louder than she expected. Despie a few stray looks from the guests that had already started to arrive, she got out safely and opened the door to Jaks preparation room across the hall.

"Sorry I was so loud." she blushed as four sets of eyes focused on her. "Guess I don't know my own strength, hehe..."

"Glad you could make it to, er, help me." Jak grinned. She smiled. "No silly, I'm here to tell you that the ceremony is starting now!"

Jak yelped and started shaking nervously. Daxter cackled and almost fell off Torns shoulder.  
"Jak, you'll be fine! I seriously don't know what you're worrying about, I mean, nothing bad can happen! All of our enemies are dead! Veger... Erol... both... gone..."

As the last word left her lips, an un-noticeable tear trickled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, not wishing for anyone to see her moment of weakness.

Jak nodded, and took a deep breath. "You're right Keir, as usual. Come on then, lets get the ceremony started."  
Torn gave her hand a quick squeeze and left with Jak. Tess and her had to stay with Ashelin, so, naturally, they went back in to wait with the blushing bride.

Jak simply could not stop fidgeting as Torn led him up to the altar to wait with Daxter, his best man - er, ottsel.

The wedding music began, and Keira nudged Ashelin, signalling her to get ready to start her walk down the aisle.

Tess went first, as the flower-ottsel, and then Keira as the maid of honour, and lastly... Ashelin.

Jaks breath caught in his throat as he saw her, and tears glistened in her eyes as she reached the altar and held Jaks hands in hers.

"Please be seated." The pastor said.  
Everyone sat down, and Keira stood quietly by Torn, her eyes masking her true emotions.

"Do you, Ashelin Praxis, take Jak Mar, to be your lawfully wedded huband, to have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do." Ashelin smiled weakly, and Jaks smile ate up his whole face.

"Do you, Jak Mar, take Ashelin Praxis to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Does anyone here have any reason that these two should not be wed in holy matrimony?"

There was silence.  
The pastor presented the rings, and Ashelin and Jak slid them onto each others fingers.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Jak held Ashelins face gently in his hands, and the two of them leant into the kiss that would seal their love for each other until they died. Or got a divorce.

Daxter wiped an imaginary tear from his eye as everyone erupted into cheers and catcalls, and the newlyweds walked down the aisle, to the wedding afterparty.

"I wonder if the Shadow required us to leave now?" Torn murmured as everyone filed out of the hall in a steady flow.  
"We might as well, its not like you've missed catching your share of bouquets." Keira giggled, and took Torns hand as they started walking back to their place to retrieve their things.

How long did the Shadow say we'd be gone for?" Torn asked Keira as she swung her bag over her shoulder, neatly zipping it up before everything fell out.

"Who knows? Probably about a week, maybe more, seems its a 'very important mission'."

He snorted as he shouldered his own bags, lugging them out the door, and taking one last look at their residence before Keira locked the door, and threw the keys to the hover at him.

Their mission had begun.

Torns communicator crackled into life, and Samos' voice could clearly be heard over the engine of the zoomer, which was headed towards the Precursor Temple-forest.

"Theres something I need you two to investigate in the forest by where Keira retrieved the baby seedling from last month. You remember the place, right Keira?"

"Yes daddy." she replied drowsily, snuggling her head into Torns shoulder as the old man continued talking.

"Good. Go there then, and be sure to tell Torn the directions so you don't get lost. I'll be in touch."

The line disconnected, and Keiras' pillow breathed a sigh of relief as the old mans voice could no longer be heard.

"Sure, hes nice to tell us where to go, but he gives me a headache." Torn grumbled, helping Keira out of the hover and entering the keypad number so the door would open.

"Thats not very nice!" Keira tutted, running to catch up to him before the door closed on her.  
So... wheres this place we're supposed to check out?" Torn asked, slightly suspicious as to why they were there. Usually log-of-the-head Grandpa Green would have given them a lot more information, but this time, they had nothing. Not what sort of disturbance it was, no clues at all.

"This way. Shoot the floating platform... yeah, and we jump over there..."

_'Please, no more confusing instructions.'_ Torn begged to himself as they crawled carefully across a narrow line. The Jetboard would have been useful right then, but Jak had it, and said hero was enjoying his honeymoon with his wife.

"Up there! We're nearly there!" Keira panted, almost falling off the edge with exhaustion.  
5 more narrow lines later, Keira and Torn walked up towards where the sages usually meditated.

Torn reached the top first, and he dropped his bags onto his foot at what he saw.  
Usually, he would have noticed the pain first, but he was too shocked at what was standing right in front of him to notice.


	24. Dreaming of the future

Karigoya Yabureme  
Epilogue  
By shadows/of/flame 

Thanks to all my reviewers, for sticking by this story and for all the inspiration.  
This chappie, the final one, is of course dedicated to all of you.

* * *

The rain was gone, leaving behind a slightly foggy sky.  
Water dripped off the leaves of the trees, shimmering softly as the drops hit the grass.  
A slighty chilly breeze ran through Haven Forest, sweeping past a large log cabin. 

Keira stretched as she awoke, rubbing the sleep from her clouded eyes.  
Sleeping in was one of those great things she savoured about the trip away from the city.

She had been through a lot in the past few months - joining the Underground, getting shunned by her two friends, being in the middle of a war, being in the middle of another war - but the final result was what she was most pleased with.

Ashelin had decided that, for all their hardwork, while her and Jak were on their honeymoon, that they should at the very least get a holiday.

This 'holiday' came in the form of the large log cabin, which Torn had stumbled across while trying to find 'the disturbance', and both were surprised at their mission.

_'That mission was actually a holiday.'_

Arms wrapped tightly around her, and she smiled.  
"Morning Torny." she purred, snuggling into his arms.

The ex-KG nuzzled her chin as he smiled softly, a small moment that could only be savoured by the one he loved.

"Good morning Keira. What shall we do this morning?"

She giggled.  
"How about lie around in bed all day like we usually do?"

Torn chuckled.  
"We have a holiday, we may as well use it wisely."

Keiras face screwed up, and Torn kissed her ever so gently as his arms wrapped around her shoulders.

Their foreheads were touching as they pulled apart, Keiras arms wrapping around Torns waist.

"So much for a mission." Torn grumbled, and Keira giggled at his seriousness.  
"Daddy did well to actually trick you! I mean, has that ever been achieved before?" she teased, earning a playful glare from Torn.

"I'm glad for the stay away." Torn replied, throwing off the covers, and making Keira shiver.  
"Hey! What was that for?" she glared, and Torn went off to the shower quickly to avoid her wrathful glare.

As the door slammed shut, Keira curled back up under the blankets, smiling as she listened to the man she loved tinkering in the shower. At one point, she thought he was singing, but she thought it must have been her imagination.

Happy endings didn't come very often, but Keira knew she had finally found hers.

_'When I started my adventure, I always thought that I'd win Jak back. I'd be his girl in shining armour saving him from the evil clutches of Ashelin. But I guess... I guess everything turns out the way it does for a reason. And...'_ she giggled as Torn returned from his shower, steam rising from the bathroom,_ 'Its not like I mind at all.'_

"After I'm dressed, how does a walk sound?" Torn asked, and Keira nodded half sleepily, wondering if there was any food to be found in the kitchen.

"Come on, Miss Lazy competitor of the year." he grunted, grabbing her by the hand, and gently pulling her out of bed.  
She clung to him as she stood uncertainly on wobbly legs.

"Torn... do you like how your lifes turned out?"  
The rebel was obviously surprised at the question, and squeezed her hands tightly.

"What do you mean?"  
"I was just wondering... you know... if you're happy with the end result of the war."

_'And me...'_ she thought silently to herself.  
He pulled her into a hug, resting his face in her hair, sighing softly.

"Jak and Ashelin are in office of Haven City. Jinx has Spargus, and I have you. What more could I want?"

Keira blushed, resting her head against his slightly damp chest, and listening to his heart thudding in his chest.

"You know, we don't have to go out..." Keira purred, and Torn smirked.  
"Anything to get out of a walk, I'm not blind. Come on, you need to stretch your legs."

Keira tried to protest. but the bathroom door slammed shut again, signalling that Torn was about to get dressed.  
She rolled her eyes, quickly dressing and escaping into the kitchen, where she attacked the fridge.  
"There'll be none of that." Torn tutted, before grabbing her from behind and slinging her over his shoulder.

She squirmed a little bit, wondering how he had changed so fast, but gave up after a while, as she knew it was useless. Thin though he was, Torn could easily lift up a few people and sling them over his shoulder.

It began to get slightly warmer, and sunlight started filtering through the gaps that the trees weren't shading, and Keira shivered as a raindrop found its way down her sleeve.

Torn let Keira down, and she gasped as a huge waterfall greeted them, the lake underneath it perfect for swimming in.  
He smirked and held out her bikini, silently laughing. " I knew Samos was up to something when he said bring your bikini..."

Keira wrinkled her nose, half in disgust and half in delight. "Well, he knew about this beforehand, remember? Thats why I packed one just in case, something was obviously up."

"Yeah, Samos loves you too." Torn chuckled, ducking behind a tree to change into his swim suit.  
He met Keira in the water a few minutes later, sneaking up on her and shoving her into the water.

She let out a strangled yelp, and fell clumsily into the water, grabbing Torn as she fell.

"You'd better still be around again when Haven City needs saving again. You're too precious to me and to Haven to lose..." Torn murmured as they surfaced, holding Keira to his chest tightly.

But she she didn't answer, as she was fast asleep, dreaming of the future.

* * *

Well, this is the end of KY. I would like to thank my sister, Em and Sull for all their help and support with this.Thank you guys! 


End file.
